The Incoming Hero
by ArcticWolf1996
Summary: As the final battle was drawing to a close, Gaea would not go down without taking the one person who gave everyone hope with her. Percy Jackson soon found himself in a new world of magic, dragons, elves and dwarves. How will Percy cope with this new world and how big of a factor will Percy play in the ongoing war?
1. Intro

Hey everybody! As said in the description this is a PJO & Eragon fanfiction. I felt like there was barely any of these out there in the fanfiction world so I wanted to put one up. There is something I want to establish before heading into the story though:

The human language on Alagaesia is English. I know there will be people who would point out that it's pretty much impossible for two different worlds to have the exact same language. So, just wanted to make sure it was understood before I started.

Okay, now that's over I hope you enjoy the story!

Story Wide Disclaimer: I do not own any Percy Jackson or Eragon material in this story. I only own the plot and any new characters presented. Now you may go about your business.


	2. The Battle to Change It All

Wherever he looked, he saw his fellow demigods fighting monsters within an inch of their lives. Gold dust and blood were the most common sight amongst the battlefield with demigod corpses scattered here and there. It looked about even with the Romans fighting on the left side of the battlefield and the Greeks fighting on the right. Some were even mixed together to form an unbreakable wall. Both sides united against a common enemy.

Percy was panting and covered in blood and sweat. The seven, Nico, and Thalia fought through the monsters to reach the Giants so they could finish them off with the help of the gods. They looked to each other and each gave a nod before separating to help their parent.

Percy ran over to his father, Poseidon, and yelled up to him, "You haven't killed him yet!?" He smiled to himself as his sweating father flashed to his side. It was funny how similar they looked with their uncontrollable black hair and sea green eyes. Each having an unrestrained personality that couldn't be contained.

Poseidon smiled tiredly at his son and said, "Took you long enough to get here. I guess you're losing your touch." They both rolled to the side as Polybotes tried to impale them on his trident. They were instantly back on their feet and charged.

Percy said, "Touché" before dodging a swipe and slicing Polybotes Achilles tendon. Polybotes was able to move his foot quick enough to not do severe damage but it still cut deeply. While he was distracted, Poseidon was able to stab his trident into his leg before quickly jumping back, barely dodging the incoming trident.

"Dad, give me some water. I have a plan." Percy said. Poseidon didn't see how water could help them since Polybotes wouldn't be affected but he knew to just trust his son. Poseidon slammed his trident into the ground shaking the earth a little with the power behind it. Water seeped through the cracks and Percy summoned it to gather around him.

Polybotes just laughed and said, "No matter how strong your water attack is, it won't affect me. Just give up now and let's get this over with!" Percy just rolled his eyes and thought about how many times someone had told him to give up because he couldn't win. He had educated many people on how to do impossible things during those fights with the way Percy fought.

After gather enough water, he said, "Thanks dad. Now let's finish this!" Poseidon pulled his weapon out of the ground as Percy got into a ready stance with the water still swirling around him. Now, there was a big difference between a titan and a demigod other than just power. Titans were much, much bigger than a mortal and even slightly bigger than a god. Thus creating a little height difference.

Percy and his father charged at Polybotes while Polybotes just laughed and got into a ready stance. Percy used the water around him to create an ice slide that raised him off the ground. Polybotes wasn't expecting a high attack and had to shift his stance to accommodate. However, with all his focus on Percy's attack, he forgot about the other being he was fighting.

Poseidon swiped his trident at the giant's feet knocking him to the ground as Percy jumped off his ramp and stabbed Riptide into the giants the heart, creating a small earthquake as the heavy being fell. Poseidon quickly flashed beside Percy and stabbed his trident right next to Percy's sword. Polybotes stared up in surprise at the two before he started to crumble into dust. He was only able to give one last look of pure hatred before disappearing.

They both gave each other a nod of thanks and surveyed the battlefield. They were the first ones done but it looked like Porphyrion and Mimas were being overwhelmed with Zeus and Hephaestus being helped by their children. Percy yelled to his father, "I'll go help Annabeth and Athena. You go help Ares and then tell him to help Artemis and Apollo. They need a solely close range fighter to beat Orion."

They both headed off to their assigned tasks and Percy assessed the battle between the mother-daughter team against Enceladus. Athena was in full battle armor locked in combat while Annabeth was nowhere to be seen. Percy was slightly worried until he saw a slash against Enceladus thigh magically appear. He sighed remembering she brought her invisibility cap and charged to help. He melted the ice from his ramp and took it with him for some more surprises.

He started to notice the strain of carrying that much water but he just pushed it to the back of his mind. Creating another ramp behind Enceladus, he slashed his back, creating a huge gash, and judging by the huge roar of pain, it must have hurt. The surprise attack was all Athena needed to get the advantage over him. She used her spear to swipe his feet out from under him giving her daughter a chance to give a finishing blow.

Annabeth took off her cap and jumped onto the giant. She quickly jabbed her knife into Enceladus' heart followed by Athena throwing her spear, impaling the giant in the head. Enceladus also gave one last look of hatred before disintegrating into dust.

Annabeth said, "Thanks, Percy" before assessing the battlefield with her mother. The giants Polybotes, Enceladus, Alcyoneus, Porphyrion, Damasen, Mimas, Thoon, and Otis were nowhere to be seen meaning they were slain. Ephialtes, Orion, Periboia, Clytius, and Hippolytus were at a clear disadvantage now that they had to deal with multiple gods and demigods who got through the monsters.

They each separated to finish off the giants with Percy heading towards Orion, Annabeth to Ephialtes, and Athena to Clytius. Percy changed course when he saw the finishing blow given to Orion and headed to Ephialtes to make sure nothing happened to Annabeth. Once again, he had to change course with another giant defeated. As he was heading to the next closest giant, Clytius was given the final blow.

Percy yelled out, "Can you wait until I get there! It's like I'm not even needed!" A few of the older campers snickered at him while the rest were surprised by the carefree tone Percy used in the midst of battle. He looked over to the last giant, Hippolytes, and saw he was backed up against the wall with all the gods looming over him with every demigod behind their parents.

As Percy jogged his way over to the last remaining giant, he surveyed the battlefield and the cost of the war hit him hard. He saw many demigods laying skill without the spark in their eyes. Each one having a different fatal wound. One with blood pooling out of his throat from a long gash, another without a leg and arm who bleed out. He stopped looking around when he saw one without a head and focused on the giant, catching the last bit of their conversation.

Hippolytes snarled, "You have no idea that you have lost. You may have slain the giants but our mother will rise and slay you all. She ..." He was interrupted when gold, silver, and brown arrows sunk in deep all over his body. He let out a gasp of surprise before disappearing like he was never there.

It was silent for a second letting everything digest. 'The war was over' was playing in everybody's minds. All at once, everybody let out a cheer while some let out a big sigh. Everybody was jubilant that the war was finally over. However, Percy had a strange feeling when he sensed liquid moving around him.

He looked to the ground and saw the blood of all the demigods heading over to the center of the battlefield. He watched it start to pool and he yelled, "It isn't over yet!" The cheers instantly stopped and looked at Percy. They followed his line of sight towards the pooling blood that was now seeping into the ground.

Percy got ahead of all the campers and the gods flashed in front too. When all the blood seeped into the ground, the earth started to rise and dread filled everyone. The mound of earth started to form a feminine shape until a beautiful woman was standing there, at least, as beautiful as someone could get when they're made out of dirt and stone.

She gave a wicked smile and said, "I see you have beaten my children. Oh well, they served their purpose but I guess I will have to kill you to have my revenge for them." She raised her arms and earth monsters formed and charged towards the campers.

Stone swords also formed in her hands as she charged. The gods and demigods instantly jumped up when they felt the earth try to trap them. However, only the gods, Jason, and Percy didn't land back on the ground. The gods levitated or something, Jason used the winds, and Percy used his ice ramp. The rest of the campers were stuck ankle deep in the earth with the earth monsters standing in between the campers and the gods.

They could all tell Gaea wasn't going to kill the campers until at least she killed the gods so the unstuck beings gave Gaea all their attention. She gave them a sickly, sweet smile and said, "You can't possibly hope to beat me. I am Gaea, Mother Earth, you can't kill earth." She still had that evil smile basically saying 'you're screwed.'

Percy just stepped up on his ice ramp and said, "Nothing is impossible and we will find a way. We may not have the ability to destroy the earth itself, however, your conscience is another story. We will force you into another slumber so it will be millenniums until you wake up again!" Percy brandished Riptide and charged yelling, "For Olympus!"

With that the gods and two demigods charged Gaea. Now, when you think of the earth, you think of stagnant rocks and dirt. However, Gaea was the complete opposite. She moved with speeds even faster than the gods. She would deflect blows knocking them back and slice the arrows in half before they reached their target.

One by one the gods were knocked back with many wounds littering their body thanks to their one enemy. In just 5 minutes, all who were left were the big three and their children. Each one panting and littered with many scratches that could have proven fatal if they didn't have fast reflexes.

Gaea, on the contrary, stood there smirking at them. If they looked closely, they could see the irregular breaths she was taking and how even though the wounds looked like they healed, they still affected her. She just smiled and said, "Give up yet?" She was actually surprised when Percy stepped up, and she would have gladly accepted his surrender for his loyalty. He would make an excellent warrior to lead her armies.

However, Percy had different plans. He spit at her feet leaving a shocked Gaea and a smirking Percy standing there. Percy spoke up, "We will never give up. If we do, all the campers who have died in this battle would have died in vain. I will not let their sacrifices be left unpaid. We will win and you will go back into slumber if I have anything to say about it." With the extra motivation and reminder that people have given their lives in this battle, the five charged towards Gaea who now didn't look as confident as before.

It was now a 50/50 battle on who would win. Gaea blocked all the blows but was unable to beat back the motivated warriors who gave her no relief. Gaea was being backed up by the constant barrage of weapons and snarled at the four people dealing these blows. She couldn't ... wait ... four!

All of the sudden, a glowing bronze sword struck her heart leaving her body open for four more weapons to enter her body. Silence descended upon the battlefield with everyone looking at the sword infused body in shock. Gaea also had a look of surprise across her face as she started making choking sounds.

She twisted her limbs and head around without moving her body until she was facing Percy. She glared at him and even though Percy could see the pain behind it, it still scared him. "You may have succeeded little hero but I'm not going down without my payback!"

Her hand shot out and grabbed Percy while also using some of what was left of her power to push the others away. She lifted him slightly off the ground and said, "Good luck!" With that, she stomped her foot as Percy struggled, trying to get out of her grasp.

A hole appeared under Percy as the other gods raced to get to him before whatever Gaea was planning. However, it was not meant to be. As Gaea used the rest of her strength, she sunk to ground to go into a deep slumber which dropped Percy directly into the hole.

As he fell, his eyes connected to Annabeth and mouthed three words. 'I love you' before he fell completely into the hole and blacked out.

When the gods finally reached where the hole was, it had already closed up and they couldn't sense any leftover energy to give them a clue as to where Percy was. They knew he wasn't just trapped under the earth judging by the unique texture the earth had and also by the slight light that was emanating from the hole when it was open.

The battlefield was silent again but no cheering rose after a few seconds. What did occur was someone falling to their knees and hugging herself. Annabeth let out choked sobs and some of the campers also cried. The rest had either a look of horror on their face or a blank look as they tried to stay strong.

Zeus stepped up and spoke to the crowd, "This battle was hard fought and we lost many good people today. However their lives were not given in vain. We have won today thanks to all of our efforts." He paused to look around the crowd with a solemn look.

"Percy gave it his all to best Gaea and was willing to sacrifice anything to achieve his goal. But do not give up on him! He is not dead! Gaea sent him somewhere that just needs to be located. I can promise you that we will not stop looking for him until we find him and bring him back to us. That is the least we could do for what he gave to us. So do not despair! While we lost many today we have gained the final victory and won the war! Gaea was put back into slumber and her children were destroyed. We should honor our friends' sacrifices! They wouldn't want their deaths to bring us down but rather us be thankful for them for giving this war their all." He looked around again and watched as hope and determination entered their eyes.

"It is time to rebuild, make amends, and create something new to show our strength so that nobody can ever threaten us again. While we mourn their deaths, we use them as an example of the sacrifices given to us so that we can be free and motivate us to work harder. Because they gave their life so we could live and continue what we started. All of the gods thank you for your sacrifices given today and we can guarantee change this time around. These past two wars have shown us the error of our ways and we _will_ make amends. Let this time be marked down in history as the start of a new era. An era of prosperity between gods and demigods!"

Cheers rang out through the crowds of demigods, and the older campers were looking at the gods with new respect. Even the ones who were bloody and leaning on their weapons gave small smiles of respect at the gods.

As the cheers rang down, Zeus spoke again, "Now! Our first priority is to tend to the wounded. Anyone who is fine enough to walk and carry can help collect the deceased so we can give them a proper funeral. After that is taken care of we can start the rebuild of both the camps. However! The camps shall no longer remain separated. My fellow gods and I will create an archway to connect the camps so that they become one under a new name! From this day forth the camp shall be known as Camp Olympus to signify we are all in this together. Romans and Greeks will unite in this new era and create something even better! Now let's show our enemies that we are just as strong as ever! For Olympus!"

Cheers of "For Olympus!" rang out across the battlefield until it died down and they got to work treating the wounded and collecting the dead. At the moment they would worry about rebuilding and making them impervious from attacks as they recuperate. However, when they were done, they would put all their efforts into finding the one who gave the most to the war and bring him back home.

Though they didn't know where he was sent, they would never give up on him. Percy was strong and he would survive and even prosper wherever he went, so they set him aside for a moment to collect themselves and start anew.

Percy, however, just woke up in a forest without hearing a single sound except for the soft swaying of leaves in the wind. Even when he looked around in the dark forest, he still had no clue as to where he was. As he laid his head back down and stared into the thick foliage, his only thought was _'Where am I?'_


	3. A New World

_'Where am I?'_

That was Percy's first thought as he groggily rolled onto his belly so he could push himself up. His limbs felt like lead and some of the cuts were still slightly bleeding. He checked his pockets for any ambrosia or nectar, but he only found Riptide. He at least had the comfort of knowing that he could defend himself with his trustworthy weapon.

He sat back on his haunches, leaning against a tree as he tried to think of where he was and how to get back. The last thing he remembered was falling through the ground after Gaea wished him 'good luck' as she sent him to her payback.

He pushed himself off the ground and leaned heavily against a tree to catch his breath. He was still extremely sore and tired from the battle and the fall didn't help him one bit. He was about to fall off his feet in exhaustion as a wave of drowsiness washed over him. Percy suspected he had about 30 minutes before he would just fall over asleep and wanted to at least find a semi-safe place to rest.

Thinking a pond or lake would be safe in an unknown area, he stretched out his senses for a body of water. Percy slumped against the tree in relief sensing a pond only five minutes away. However, considering his exhausted and hurt state it might take the whole 30 minutes.

Percy steeled his nerves for the pain he knew would come in his legs before stumbling through the dense forest. He was actually quite happy that the trees were so close together to always have one to lean on, but the roots sticking out of the ground made him stumble several times.

When he finally reached the water source, he saw the pond was about 30 feet in diameter and 8 feet deep. It was a relatively clear pond so anyone could see him if they looked at the bottom but he doubted anybody would be walking around in this forest.

He slid himself into the water and floated towards the middle before allowing himself to sink to the bottom. There was surprisingly no marine life in the pristine water but he was okay without being hammered with 'My Lord!' or praise in general. He much preferred the calm silence he had now at the bottom of the pond.

As his body slowly shut down into a healing daze and his mind clouded up, shifting to sleep, he thought about how he was going to find his way back to his friends and family when he had no clue where he was. Gaea apparently sent him here as payback, which most likely meant it would be a long time until he would be able to return. For now, he would just focus on healing himself and getting a full rest to be prepared for the challenges ahead. Who knew when he would get to rest so peacefully again?

It didn't take long for him to fall into a deep, undisturbed slumber. No dreams haunted him as the evening turned into night. The quiet forest only containing a few cricket sounds through the night didn't even reach the sleeping demigod as he rested in his father's domain. He smiled in his slumber at the feeling of safety the water provided him, subconsciously wishing he could experience this wonderful feeling with someone else.

As Percy came back to awareness, the first thing he noticed was how well rested he was. He hadn't felt that way since the beginning of the war. He always had something he was worrying about and never in a safe place to just rest. He looked around in the clear water and a small smile found its way onto his face. Yes, he definitely felt safe here.

However, he knew he couldn't stay in the water so he swam to the bank. He pulled himself out of the water with only slightly sore muscles and decided to do some stretches to work out the kinks and not feel them even worse later on.

After his five minute stretching session, he spread out his senses to look for any more bodies of water but couldn't feel anything within his range. Since the trees blocked the direction of the sun he couldn't even direct himself with that. Shrugging and choosing a random direction, he started walking through the forest.

As he trudged his way through the deep brush, it grew rockier in certain areas and soon became clear that he was actually on a mountain when he saw a steep, rocky cliff off to his left. He also became aware of the thinner air at this height when he noticed he took quicker breaths than usual.

Percy grew hungry as he made his way through the forest but was unable to find any food. He passed by a couple of berry bushes but knew not to eat fruit that had a chance of being poisonous.

It was about four hours of walking later that Percy felt a small, cold breeze when passing by a cliff. He backtracked a couple steps and felt along the wall. He soon found the spot he felt the breeze at and traced the vertical line for about four feet. As he reached the top, he felt it jet off to the left where it traveled two feet before finding its way back down.

Percy soon concluded that it was actually a doorway and stepped back to investigate. The rectangle shaped bolder fit almost perfectly in the hole and it was practically unnoticeable unless looked at closely.

Percy pushed his hand against the obstacle and focused on shaking the boulder to extreme speeds. He had only done this a few times with minor success so he hoped it would work. He felt the rock begin to vibrate and pushed more concentration and power into it as he felt the rock begin to break apart.

A couple of big cracks later and the big rock became tenths of its originally size. Still, Percy soon found out that the smaller rocks were still boulders in their own right because lifting them out of the way was no easy task.

When enough was moved for him to gain entry, he squirmed and shimmied his way through the entrance which opened up to a lone, dark hallway leading into the mountain. There was some damp moss growing on the rocks and Percy noticed that the air was saturated with water. The amount of water vapor in the air made him think about what rainforest air would be like after a heavy downpour.

He made his way through the dark tunnel and noticed how quickly the light was draining away. He was growing slightly concerned until he rounded a corner and a torch instantly lit. Percy probably jumped a good five feet backwards at the unexpected lighting before he calmed down when he noticed he wasn't in danger.

He walked up to the torch and examined it for a second before deeming it safe to pick up. However, taking it off its holder must have tripped something because he heard a click that sent a shiver of foreboding down his spine.

Instantly, he heard a BANG and the light was cut off from the entrance. However that wasn't what worried him. What increased his nerves was the rolling sound coming closer to him. He didn't even think twice before turning around and sprinting down the hallway.

He quickly glanced back as he made his way down the tunnel and saw another bolder come around the corner before his light went out of range. The sight only made him sprint harder since the straight tunnel had a slight decline which would only add speed to the bolder.

He ran for about a 20 seconds before he heard the bolder gaining speed and getting closer. Quickly trying to think up something to slow down the bolder, he started focusing on the thick water vapor in the air and dew on the moss and rocks.

He started to gather it all up as he ran through the tunnel, hoping to gather enough to push against the bolder to slow it down. He knew he couldn't just put it on the ground to stop it because the bolder would easily break the ice with minimal speed reduction.

He was so focused on his task that he almost missed how the ground seemed to open up in front of him. At the last second, he pushed off the ledge as hard as he could and hoped he could reach the other side.

It turned out he was lucky with only a five foot gap and made the jump to the other side with only a slight stumble. He turned around as he heard the bolder fall through the gap and hit the bottom with a thud. He rested a hand against the wall to catch his breath as he froze the gathered water around his body to be used later.

When he went back to the hole and peered down to the bottom, he noticed that there were spikes on the bottom with the boulder resting on top and some broken tips littering the floor. Percy gave a small shudder as he thought about how the trap worked.

If the bolder got to you before the hole, then you would be crushed. If you stopped the bolder but fell into the gap, you would be impaled by the spikes. If you fell and the boulder fell on top of you, then there would be almost certain death and, if not, then no escape.

Percy shuddered again before making his way through the tunnel, albeit, much more cautious now. He peered around every corner before making the complete turn and actually had to double back a few times when there was a split in the pathway leading to dead ends.

He ran into a few more traps that he didn't understand. These traps came out of nowhere and the only warning he had was the prickling of his skin and the hairs on the back of his neck standing up before something flew towards him.

The first one was a fireball. After quickly dodging the three separate blasts and pausing to see if another was coming, he made his way over to where it originated. However, there was no indication that something shot out a fireball. The only thing stopping him from thinking he imagined it was the charred area where the fireballs landed behind him.

A few other traps like these occurred just with different attacks. There was ice, which he dodged and just stopped mid-air, and poison gas, which he created an ice bubble around his head to trap clean air inside. He jogged through this area since he only had limited air.

These traps were definitely magical but he didn't know the gods could create something like this. The more he thought about it the more he was pretty sure the gods didn't do this. The traps were like spells placed on the rocks to be triggered by movement. He guessed maybe Hecate did this since she was the goddess of magic but that just didn't make sense.

He just shrugged and continued along his way. It didn't really matter who created these traps but his curiosity was definitely piqued. He passed a few more traps that just added to the variety of the spells and it made Percy wonder if he was actually being tested since no trap was the same and required different methods to get past.

The traps, while certainly deadly, were testing different strengths. His speed was tested with the bolder, the fire tested maneuverability or control over fire, the gas spread too far to test how long you could hold your breath so it most likely tested your ingenuity to get past something in gas form. The other traps tested his strength, stamina, eyesight, and other abilities.

So when he finally reached a door at the end of the tunnel, Percy's curiosity was pretty much overflowing from him and his elation that he passed the tests was visible to the naked eye. He was still cautious as he made his way to the door though and was rewarded for his efforts when a dart shot out towards him and was barely able to dodge it.

He glowered at the small dart that would have most likely killed him before making his way to the door. When no further traps tried to do him in, he twisted the doorknob and pushed the door open. However, the door didn't move an inch.

He glared at the door that was blocking him from fulfilling his curiosity and knew what he had to do. He rubbed his hands against the rock wall to get the sweat off his hands before twisting the doorknob again. He pushed off his feet and slammed the door as hard as he could with his shoulder and was rewarded with the slight movement of the door.

Seeing that it was possible for the door to move, Percy quickly repeated the action again and again until he could make his way into the room. He squirmed his way into the dark room and was only a little surprised that the room instantly lit up with torches along the wall.

His eyes were quickly drawn to the back wall with a small pedestal in front of it. There was a sea green egg with white vein marks that was about twice the size of a football. Below it was an inscription in another type of language that Percy guessed was native to whatever region he was in. Above the egg hung a sea green sword that matched the color of the egg. Its handle was crafted from silver with a diamond in the pommel and a few smaller emeralds adorning the cross guard.

It had a slight shine to it as it reflected the torched light and it looked quite deadly. His attention was soon focused back on the egg and was surprised when he felt that he should hold it. It was almost like it was calling him to pick it up. Not really wanting to resists the feeling, he strode over to the egg and cupped it into his hands.

It was slightly heavy for an egg but what shocked him the most was when a warm feeling shot through him, making him want to never let go. However, it was apparently not meant to be when the egg started to shake and crack. He quickly set it on the ground and backed up a foot to give it some room.

He wondered what kind of animal or creature it was since it was such a unique egg. His anticipation grew as more cracks appeared until finally the egg exploded outward revealing the creature inside.

To say Percy was surprised would be an understatement. A freaking dragon just hatched in front of him and it looked like it hatched because _he_ touched it. He soon was distracted by the beauty of the dragon.

It had sea green scales that matched his eyes with webbing going along its neck and tail. There was also some on its elbow joints. It was honestly kind of cute with it making little growling sounds as it got used to its new surroundings.

Once it finished getting all the egg off, its bright blue eyes connected with Percy's sea green. The dragon hesitantly walked over to him and Percy lifted a hand to pet it. However, as Percy's hand made contact with its head, a bright flash blinded him and he felt a searing pain in his hand that reminded him of getting his Roman tattoo. However, he couldn't think on it much longer before he blacked out into oblivion.

Elsewhere in Alagaesia, four beings jumped as a feeling they never suspected to feel again went across their minds. Galbatorix was sitting on his throne planning the next attack when he felt a new rider being claimed. He sat in stunned silence for only a second before he called a meeting of his spies. He would find this new rider and make sure he joined him, willingly or not.

Arya was conversing with her fellow elves when the feeling went through her and she stopped mid-sentence. The other elves looked at her with confusion at the clear shock on her face before their confusion grew even more when she jumped up and ran towards the castle. Arya knew what that feeling was and she knew that this war was about to change. Whether it was a good or bad change was yet to be decided.

Eragon was eating with Saphira when they both felt it. Eragon had no idea what it was but it wasn't exactly unpleasant. It was actually a good sort of feeling even if he couldn't explain why. He asked Saphira if she felt it too but she didn't know what it was either. They agreed to ask Arya later to see if she would know. Since it wasn't a bad feeling they decided it could wait. It probably wasn't anything too important anyway.

Percy woke up with a groan and wondered where the bus that hit him went. He raised his left hand to his forehead and felt something shift between his body and right arm. It had a smooth, hard texture and when he looked down he saw a dragon looking straight at him with blue eyes. It took him a moment for his memories to come back to him, and he was surprised that he didn't jump up or anything. All he did was pet the dragon on its head again.

It seemed to like it and Percy smiled when it made a purring noise at the back of its throat. However, when he lifted his hand again he noticed a spiral design burned onto his palm. He looked at it blankly for a second before giving the dragon a flat look.

"Thanks," he said sarcastically. The dragon seemed to think it was something funny because it gave a chirp before jumping on his chest in a playful manner. Percy just pushed it off him and sat up. He watched amusedly as it ran in circles around him hopping up and down while letting out little barks.

His attention was soon drawn back to the insignia on his hand and he contemplated what it meant. It honestly was an impressive design with its curves and sharp points. It almost looked like a curled up dragon.

A dragon jumping onto his back brought him back to the present and he laughed as he put his hands under it and got up. Its hind legs and tail wrapped around his waist as it batted its wings trying to fly.

Percy chuckled and said, "You can't fly yet. Just wait until you get older and you'll be soaring through the sky." He paused and looked at its webbing. "And maybe gliding through the water too." The dragon gave a happy chirp at that which made Percy smile. He couldn't wait to go swimming with it.

He made his way over to the sword and studied it for a second before taking it off its perch. It balanced perfectly in his hands and gave it a few test swings. It felt like it was cutting air when he felt no resistance when he swung. He noticed that the edges seemed to be sharper than regular swords so it must have been used to cut through something special. He shrugged and figured that he would find out later.

After hooking the scabbard on his waist and sliding the sword into it, he made his way back through the tunnel and made sure to keep a close eye out for traps. Luckily it seemed that all the traps were disabled. After hopping back over the gap and walking further down the tunnel, he saw small rays of light shining from the entrance.

He smiled brightly at finally getting out of the underground tunnel and patted the dragon's head that snaked around his neck. He couldn't believe how attached he already was to the small but beautiful dragon. He guessed magic was at play judging by the mark he got from it.

He squirmed his way out of the exit and took a deep breath of cool, fresh air. He saw that the sun was already setting and he wondered how long he was in there. He never did find out what time he woke up so there was no telling the length of time passed in the tunnel.

The dragon started squirming so he let it hop off him and explore his new surroundings. He laughed when a root tripped him too and said, "It looks like both of us are slightly clumsy huh." The dragon just stared back at him for a second before resuming his playful exploring.

Percy just laughed and continued ahead. They needed a safe place to sleep so he stretched out his senses looking for another source of water. They couldn't sleep in the water this time since the dragon couldn't breathe underwater but being next to one would definitely provide defense for them should they be attacked.

He found one about 20 minutes away and headed towards it, making sure the dragon was following him as he moved along. He found himself almost constantly making sure the dragon was okay and still following him and he wondered how strong their connection was. It was almost like he could sense the dragon in a way because he knew exactly where to look to find it.

Sometimes he felt a small little brush against his mind that felt like playful laughter or eager curiosity. He assumed these were his dragon's emotions and he wondered that as time went on, how strong would their connection enhance?

When they finally made it the body of water, the dragon actually beat him to it and jumped in, making a small little splash with his tiny body. Percy chuckled and was glad his dragon loved the water as much as him. He waited for it to surface so they could go to sleep but he grew slightly worried when it didn't pop back up.

After two minutes, he couldn't stand it anymore and jumped in, quickly looking for him. He was startled to a stop when he found him curled up at the bottom of the lake making himself a small area to sleep in. Percy focused on the water around the dragon and was surprised to find that the dragon was actually breathing in the water.

He actually stared at it for a couple long seconds before the dragon looked towards him with sleepy eyes. Percy softly smiled before swimming over to him. Percy lied down beside the dragon and watched as the dragon curled up around him, resting its small head on Percy's chest.

Percy laid back his head and ran his fingers along its soft scales thinking how nice this was. Soon the dragon fell asleep in the calm waters followed soon by Percy. The last thought he had was that he enjoyed having someone to have this experience with.

Percy woke up to the pressure being applied to his chest. He cracked his eyes open to see the dragon pawing at his chest like a cat. Once the dragon saw he was awake, it gave a chirp that sounded really cool underwater. It was a very sweet sound that was calming to the ears. However, the dragon didn't want Percy to just lay there so it tried a different tactic.

It got off of him and started to burrow its way under him. Now, an animal burrowing under you is not a pleasant experience. Definitely not when a dragon with horns is the one doing it. Percy soon groggily sat up and forcefully grabbed the dragon and put it into its lap. He hoped making him stay still would be good payback but was proven wrong when the dragon just curled up on his lap, apparently enjoying the closeness.

Percy heaved a sigh and smiled down at his dragon. He wondered when he started calling it _his_ dragon but he guessed it made sense. They were apparently bonded together and they both enjoyed playing together. They enjoyed close contact between them and Percy was always worrying over him when he couldn't see him.

The dragon soon finished basking in their closeness and shot out from his lap toward the surface. Percy smiled and followed him towards the bank, ready to start the new day. After surfacing, Percy soon became aware at how hungry he was. He rested a hand on his stomach as it gurgled at him impatiently.

The dragon actually looked at him wondering what that noise was and Percy couldn't help but burst out in laughter. The dragon's slightly tilted head mixed with the confused eyes was just too hilariousness to hold the laughs.

He looked back at his dragon who was giving him a look of 'are you crazy?' That did not help Percy's already amused attitude but he held it in this time. "I'm hungry and I bet you want some food too."

The dragon seemed to understand what food meant and jumped around chirping excitedly. Percy smiled at him before a frown made its way onto his face. He hadn't seen any type of meat since he was sent to this strange place and he hoped he could find some soon. The dragon just hatched and he was going to need a lot of food to grow.

He pushed these dark thoughts away and focused on the positive. He had a companion on this weird new journey and together they would survive.

Now with positive thoughts floating around in his head, he quickly sprinted forward catching his dragon by surprise, judging by the surprised chirp and soft footfalls behind him. He slowed down to let the dragon catch up and it looked like it didn't appreciate being surprised like that with the look Percy was getting.

He just shrugged and kept walking forward at a normal pace as the dragon ran ahead of him and stayed in front.

After two hours of walking, Percy saw a doe alone near a riverbed at the bottom of a cliff. His stomach gave another growl knowing what its next meal would be. After shushing his stomach and the excited dragon who saw the animal too, he sat down and focused on the water in front of the deer.

When the deer looked behind it to make sure predators weren't sneaking up on it, Percy formed an ice shard and quickly pierced its heart for an instant kill. Percy smiled at his kill and was impressed on his aim since the deer was at least 50 yards away from him. He willed the water in the stream to lift the doe up and slowly moved it towards him.

If anyone would have been around they probably would have thought they were imagining things when they saw a deer floating in midair. Luckily, no one was around so it went unnoticed.

Percy floated the deer right behind him and willed the water to set it down. Knowing the water could come in handy later, he froze it along his arms and formed arm guards. Telling the dragon he couldn't have any yet, he looked for a small tree to cut up for some firewood. Not having to look far, he soon had a small fire going by using some flint he found.

He created a small stand to cook his meat on and stepped back to admire his work. He formed a small knife from the water and sliced off a decent amount of meat for himself and put it over the fire. The dragon was looking at him with pleading puppy dog eyes which made Percy roll his eyes. "You can have the rest."

The dragon gave an excited chirp before gorging himself on the dear. Percy watched fascinated at how easily it tore away the meat from the bones and Percy wondered why the sight didn't make him sick.

He just shrugged and focused back onto his nearly done food. Ten minutes later the meat was cooked enough to safely eat and he enjoyed his first meal in a long time.

He drifted into his thoughts as he watched his dragon finish his meal. The secret base he found the dragon in looked like it hadn't been visited in for decades, maybe even centuries. How long was that dragon just waiting in its egg for someone to come around and help it hatch? He gazed sadly at the dragon figuring it was in that egg for a long time. He just hopped it spent all that time asleep.

A full bellied dragon brought him back to the present as it wobbled over to him and let out a burp of smoke. Percy smiled at the sight and let out a small chuckle. It didn't matter anymore. The dragon was hatched now and Percy would take good care of it no matter what. He would make up for the years of loneliness it may or may not have felt.

Percy stood up and brushed himself off. "You ready to go?" The dragon instantly perked up and gave an excited bark before taking off into the woods. Percy just shook his head and wondered how many sounds his dragon could make.

He followed the dragon down the mountainside and watched as it rested on a boulder waiting for him. A sudden thought made him think about how he hadn't even named the dragon yet. Instantly all his thinking power went to naming the special dragon.

His scales were sea green just like his eyes which reminded him, obviously, of the sea. As Percy looked into its eyes, he felt like he was being sunk down into that sea, never to be released again. Percy smiled a small smile now knowing a name that perfectly matched him. "Maelstrom." He whispered.

The dragon must have heard it because its head bent towards him as if contemplating something. It soon gave out a happy bark and ran around Percy's legs. Percy knew he liked his new name and Percy laughed with the dragon. "Maelstrom, let's go!"

They both set out on their journey to find out wherever they were. They didn't know where to go or which direction to take so they would wander around until they could figure out what to do. They would travel together and face the challenges ahead together. Because now they were a dragon and a dragon rider bonded together. Nothing would stop them from reaching their goal.

Maelstrom (Male' – strum) just to make sure you're pronouncing his name right


	4. Exploration

A few weeks had passed since they set off on their journey. Percy concluded that he wasn't on Earth anymore judging by the strange terrain and also its animal inhabitants. However, he was pretty sure he saw a jackalope at one point but wasn't 100% sure.

Maelstrom had also grown rapidly and was now up to his knees with its head almost reaching his hips. Its wingspan was currently four feet and he could tell Maelstrom was almost able to fly. He had been working his wing muscles by jumping off small ledges and high rocks and was able to start gliding earlier in the week.

The two also grew even closer over time. They always slept together whether it was in a nearby pond or up in a tree if water wasn't available. Maelstrom would always wrap around him and Percy would always run his fingers along his slick scales, basking in each other's warmth.

Two days ago Percy stretched out his senses and felt a pull ahead of them that caught Percy by surprise. He concentrated on putting all his focus in front of him and was shocked when the pull increased. He had found an ocean! Or at least a large sea but that didn't matter to him. He was going to be in his domain soon and Maelstrom, sensing his rider's elation, was just as happy.

It took three more days of constant hiking to finally reach what was revealed as an ocean. Both of them sprinted into the cool water and basked in the feeling of being in their respective domains. Both loved the water like nothing else and played in it for the rest of the day. Percy even found out that Maelstrom had some control over water late one afternoon.

They were playing fetch in the shallows using a frozen icicle. They had been playing for a quarter hour and Percy was ready to pick up a new game so he melted the icicle and thought of a new game to play. He could tell that Maelstrom wasn't quite ready to quit and his scrunched face made Percy chuckle.

He at first thought he was just frustrated that his icicle was gone but was proven wrong when another icicle slowly formed on top of the water. While it was much smaller than the original, it made Percy pause at the sight. Maelstrom picked it up in his jaws and hopped over to Omega basically begging him to throw it.

Percy was still stuck on the thought that he didn't create that icicle and looked at his dragon. Maelstrom definitely looked like he just accomplished a task with his happy bouncing. Percy held out his hand for the ice shard and soon held it. He brought it up close, studying it to make sure it really was ice.

It turned out to be pure, solid ice and Percy was amazed that Maelstrom could manipulate water like him. It made him wonder if he was able to do this being a water dragon or was he able to do it since he was bonded to him.

Percy only thought about it for a second before deciding it didn't matter. If Maelstrom did gain some abilities from him then that just made him all the cooler. It also added a whole new aspect to their water fighting wars.

Percy threw the icicle as far as he could while smirking. Oh yes, they were going to have some fun with water tag. However, Percy worried that he would be left with a few bruises before Maelstrom got complete control over his strength.

As the day was coming to an end, they finished their meal they killed on their way to the ocean and slept deep down in the dark depths of the water. Percy was now able to sense fish off in the distance and a few here and there but none close to him. He wondered if he would have to deal with subservient fish since he wasn't on Earth but he guessed he would find out as they traveled through the ocean. They both soon fell asleep cuddled together looking forward to their time in the vast ocean.

They woke up the next morning and played for a little bit while also trying to get Maelstrom to fly. He was almost there and Percy would try to give him a boost by pushing him up with his arm.

It only took ten minutes before Maelstrom stayed in the air. "You got it, Strom! You're almost there! Just keep flappin like your life depends on it!" Percy smiled as Maelstrom finally was able to fly on his own and watched as he flew out over the ocean.

He was even more surprised when he went into a dive and dove into the water. Percy almost laughed at how even though he just learned to fly, he still loved water too much to stay out of it. Percy waited for a minute for him to surface again and wondered what was taking him so long.

When he looked inwards towards the bond, Maelstrom still felt alright but there was something off. All of the sudden his mark started burning and he clutched his palm, fascinated at how it was glowing.

It only lasted a couple seconds before it stopped and Percy looked out towards the water. Soon, a gigantic upwards splash revealed a gigantic creature coming out of the water. Percy worried slightly about Maelstrom but was shocked speechless when he saw what the creature was and who it resembled.

He was broken out of his stupor when Maelstrom landed in front of him making the ground shake with his landing. Percy looked up towards the now much bigger Maelstrom and said, "How?"

Percy could hear laughter in his head loud and clear which shocked Percy. While they were making process with mental communication, they were only able to relay emotions back and forth.

 _"Hello Percy. It's nice to finally talk to you."_ To say Percy was speechless would be an understatement. When he heard the strong, male voice speak to him in his head he almost fainted. He looked up at Maelstrom saying, "What happened to you? I'm pretty sure you broke some sort of laws growing that quickly."

More laughter filled his head. " _It was time for us to set out on our journey. A dragon and dragon rider's bond grows as time moves on after hatching. Once it grows strong enough and I reach a certain size, I grow for you to become my rider and for us to ride into battle together as one."_

And for some reason, that made sense to Percy. Percy just laughed at how ridiculous it was for this to make sense but he didn't really care. He took this time to examine his now grown dragon and really admired the changes.

Maelstrom was all lean muscle with wet scales that made them sparkle in the sunlight. His claws were now four inches long and the two horns on his wings were like big spikes that looked a little more than slightly deadly. Percy also noticed the horns that grew along its neck were much longer and protected his neck which was one of the dragon's weak spots. His mouth was filled with sharp, pearly white teeth which stood out against its blood red tongue. Its webbing was pretty cool to look at and it was now prominent along his neck and tail area.

"You look amazing." Percy colored a little at the whispered comment which only increased when he heard laughing. " _I'm amazing, I know."_ Percy scowled a little at the haughty tone and crossed his arms. "You may be amazing but you are nowhere near as awesome as me." Percy tensed at the look in his dragon's eye and jumped ten feet in the air when the dragon let out a sudden, loud roar which was probably heard for miles.

When Percy finally got his heartbeat to slow down, he noticed the smug look on the dragon. _"Who is more awesome and fearsome again?"_ Percy grudgingly admitted that that did startle him a little and if he was someone else that would have been much more intimidating but there was no need to verbalize it. However, Maelstrom could clearly tell what he was thinking judging by the deep, rumbling, and dragon like laughter he heard.

"Ha, Ha." Percy said sarcastically before getting an excited gleam in his eye. He willed a water whip to form and smacked it across Maelstrom's side before running towards the water. Percy let out a whoop before jumping into the water, propelling him into the deep depths of the ocean.

He heard a dragon shriek of indignation before he was soon being joined by his almighty dragon. The game of tag went back and forth for about an hour and Percy learned a few things. Maelstrom had much more control over his water abilities judging by the wall of ice that appeared in front of Percy which, of course, Percy ran into at full speed and became 'it.'

He also learned that Maelstrom was extremely fast in the water. While Percy was still faster than him, it was still pretty amazing how fast he could go. Sometimes Percy would get distracted by the beauty of the gleaming scales flowing flawlessly through the water before he was knocked to the side and became 'it' ... again.

They ended up laughing together 100 feet underwater. It was amazing how their personalities seemed to fit together. While Percy was more carefree than serious, Maelstrom was more serious than carefree unless Percy managed a way to get him to loosen up, usually by insulting him. Maelstrom had a little bit of an ego that Percy liked to mess with which would in turn lead into a chase which also got Maelstrom to lighten up.

Percy also found out that Maelstrom was very protective of him. When they encountered their first predator that was bigger than Percy, Maelstrom immediately got in front of him and growled at it. Let's just say that it didn't help when the creature ran away from the 'fearsome' creature and left a smug dragon behind. Percy tried to tell Maelstrom that he was perfectly capable of handling himself but Maelstrom just said maybe and ended the discussion which irked Percy.

They soon started their journey together and both enjoyed the freedom they were experiencing traveling the ocean. Maelstrom had never been able to experience what was in his nature to enjoy and Percy loved seeing the new wildlife and surroundings of this new world. However, both of them enjoyed the time they spent together as dragon and dragon rider the most. Their bond grew infinitely stronger through their trip and could now communicate telepathically over long distances flawlessly.

Maelstrom also explained what he remembered while in the egg. While most of it was fuzzy, he did recall bits and pieces from his caretakers when they had him. He remembered that they passed him around to see if he would hatch for anyone but knew none of them were his rider. He also explained that a dragon would only hatch when he encountered his one true rider and would even wait for centuries for it to happen. This only made Percy blush saying he was nothing that special which only got a 'look' from his dragon.

Other than that he didn't remember much else. However the last thing he remembered was what the elves said when he put him in the chamber.

 _"'Are you sure this is the wisest course of action?' There was a pause as the other was thinking. 'You and I both know this must be done. It was said that the dragon who didn't hatch for any of the riders this round would be important at a later time. It said that he and his rider would determine which way the war went. Our seer has never been wrong before and I think it would be best to follow her instructions.' Maelstrom didn't hear anything else other than the shutting of the door."_

Percy just sighed out loud when he heard that he was part of another prophecy and wondered if that writing he saw in the room was the prophecy. He probably should have written it down or something for it to be translated later, but he didn't think it was that important! Who could blame him when there was an amazing looking egg and a wicked sword that immediately drew attention away! Percy just slumped on Maelstrom which got a rebuke about being sloppy and should look more regal when riding a majestic dragon like him.

Percy also shared his memories during their trip and while he was sharing his admittedly hard life story, he sensed more and more protective feelings from Maelstrom. Percy just sighed, accepting his lot in life and continuing his story.

The ocean life was also an interesting experience. While none of them knew him as the son of the sea god, they definitely knew he was part of the ocean and to be respected or at least not messed with. The dragon helped deter any bigger beasts who debated on messing with them so pretty much nothing bugged them other than the occasional stares.

Percy did mentally speak to some marine life who got close to see what they were and Percy would call people liars if they tried to say fish couldn't make facial expressions, other than the fish face of course, because they were definitely surprised. However they started gathering a crowd at the unique occurrence that was happening so they bolted and decided not to just conversational speak to the fish anymore.

It was about three days later that they came across a town. They passed a few boats beforehand but didn't think seeing a dragon just come out of nowhere would have been a good idea. So, they decided that Percy would swim to the town while Maelstrom would gather lunch and/or dinner depending on when Percy returned. They assumed that Percy would most likely have to go to the library to find out information as to not attract too much attention which Percy just groaned and grudgingly accepted.

As they approached the city, they had to admit it was a nice city. It was encircled by a white wall a hundred feet tall and thirty feet thick with two main gates: one on the western side of the city, facing the sea, and the other on the southern side, opening to the road. The buildings grew progressively taller from the outside in with the tallest buildings near the center.

Percy had to admit that it was perfectly built for repelling attacks. Attackers would have to worry about rooftop archers, and if they tried to get them then they would have to constantly climb up buildings. Also, the harbor didn't directly lead into the city which wouldn't allow ships to unload their soldiers past the walls.

As Percy neared the city, he noticed that the docks looked to be half sunken in the water and pretty much completely destroyed. When he got closer he noticed that they were actually burned and exploded into bits. He guessed they just had an attack not too long ago but it seemed they were able to repel it without them even getting on land. This just made Percy respect the city's defenses even more.

However, when he finally got into the city, he noticed that it was like entering a Renaissance fair or something. Everything was old fashioned and now that he really looked at the buildings, he could tell they were made out of stone stacked on top of each other like in the olden days. It was like a blast to the past for him but he guessed that was okay. He wouldn't have to worry about being sniped 100 meters away for being a foreigner or something crazy like that.

He covertly surfaced away from the ship crews' eyes and headed towards the city. He then mixed himself with villagers going into the city and easily passed the two guards at the entrance. As he entered the city his view opened up to what would be described as a merchant city. There were many shops here and there and he could see nice houses towards the center of the city.

Percy smiled and hoped he could find someone who wouldn't be suspicious of him asking what would seem strange questions to them. It only took five minutes for him to find a kid walking around and stopped him to ask some questions.

The kid turned out to be a greedy little bugger and Percy got irritated with him after a while. However a slight glare directed at the kid seemed to do the trick and he spilled. Percy inwardly sighed at how affected he was by his Tartarus experience. While he could give dark looks before, even campers who knew him for a long time would shy away or even take a step back in fear when his ire was directed at them.

After a five minute talk with the kid, he learned that the city was called Teirm and it was an ocean port town. Many ship merchants passed through this city as they traveled along the coast. He also learned that the burnt down wasn't from an enemy trying to take the city but someone using the burning docks to escape. He wondered why they were that desperate to get out but he didn't want to pass on judgment until he knew the true reason.

He also got directions to the local library and immediately set off. He knew he would probably be in their all day trying to make sense of what he was reading and he was not looking forward to the headache sure to come.

The library was actually quite big considering the size of the city. He went through the different isles before browsing the history section to learn where the hell he was. He finally found a dusty old tome and browsed through it hoping to better understand his current situation.

As he read through the quite difficult, old style book, his eyebrows steadily rose higher and higher. There were many different creatures in this world called Alagaesia including elves, dwarves, and some type of horned creature called urgals. There used to be many dragons and riders but apparently all of them went extinct a long time ago except for the current king of the land.

That didn't really make Percy feel much better since the king would most likely think of him as a must be ally or an enemy that needs to be exterminated. The book didn't outright say it but he could read the subtleties that the king wasn't a kind one. He resolved that he would try to lay low for as long as he could but he didn't even try to delude himself on not causing or getting into trouble. It was bound to happen to him so he would just prepare as much as he could.

He finally finished the book many hours later and sat back to contemplate what he learned. Apparently the dwarves and elves went into their respective domains and pretty much isolated themselves except for a few encounters with the humans. The urgals were pretty much beasts by the way they were treated and represented. However in the beginning of the book it spoke of them as intelligent beings so he would have to meet a few before jumping to conclusions.

The most amazing thing he learnt was that he apparently could do magic. He wondered if his demigod blood would affect this in any way but there was only one way to test it. The book did tell of stories where dragon riders exhausted themselves using too much magic and actually died or used an extremely powerful spell that immediately killed them afterwards so Percy would definitely test his limits before he tried to do anything too big.

He finally got up and stretched out his stiff muscles before heading out of the library feeling a little better about his situation. He wouldn't sound like a complete idiot if he talked to someone and could probably semi-follow a conversation about the history of Alagaesia and its inhabitants.

As he made his way to the docks he saw it was already late afternoon and he was starving. He hoped Maelstrom was able to find some food and was waiting for him to join him. He reached out with his mind through the bond and brushed it up against his friend's mind. He was immediately recognized and given a mental image and direction of where he was, waiting with a stag he caught. He also caught a few carcasses in the peripheral shot he was given and admonished his dragon for not waiting for him and enjoying a nice, juicy meal while he was slaving away in the dusty books.

He only got a mental shrug in response and a 'hurry up.' Percy just rolled his eyes, followed the crowd out of the city and jumped back into the water, setting out to fill his empty stomach.

They met up and finished their meals before moving on to keep traveling down the coast. Percy explained what he learned and discussed it with Maelstrom to see if he had anything to add to it. Percy even shared some of his memories which they learned how to do while traversing the ocean.

They both descended into silence thinking about how they should present themselves to the world. They definitely needed to train together so they would be prepared in case they were attacked. They would need to be braced for any and all circumstances and have a prepared counter and escape plan.

They were still new to this world and would be at an extreme disadvantage to many fighters. Percy nor Maelstrom knew how skilled elves, dwarves, urgals or even humans were. They were at least lucky that they only had very primitive technology but the variety of magic pretty much made up for it.

Magic wise he was worse than a novice. He learned a few simple spells in the ancient language that was repeated in the books like _Brisingr_ (fire) and _Waise Heill_ (be healed). He would probably ... definitely use the second one plenty of times. However what he needed was a book on spells so he could practice.

The first time he cast _Brisingr_ was ... umm, explosive if he had to name it. He was on the beach with Maelstrom behind him. Percy teased the dragon saying he was scared of a little fire but Maelstrom responded that Percy would somehow mess it up or go overboard and roast him, so his phrase for the day was 'better safe than sorry.'

Percy held his palm out and focused on fire. He thought about the Camp Half-Blood campfire and how he could feel the heat even meters away. He thought about the feeling of fire and the massive amount of heat it produces. He thought about the heat in the air driving off the freezing temperatures around him and the heat being produced inside his body in that moment. He thought about the feel of fire as it burned him and consumed whatever it touched. He combined all of these memories and open his eyes.

" _Brisingr!_ " BOOM! Percy was immediately blown back into Maelstrom and blinked back the stars from his eyes ... He definitely wasn't expecting that. He slowly opened his eyes and sat stunned at the beach. He unsteadily got up still trying to recover some feeling and walked back to where he was just a few seconds ago.

He crouched to run his hands along the smooth surface and gaped at his distorted face now staring back at him. IT TURNED INTO GLASS! The glass stretched for about five feet but he could tell the spell went at least 50 feet from his original position and could have probably still burnt something 10 more feet just from the heat alone! Percy decided then and there that he must have found the most powerful spell in existence and decided that he should probably never use it again. He wasn't even tired after that spell!

However, maybe if he whispered it or didn't put much feeling behind it than it may be smaller. He tested this by gathering a few sticks and stacking them on the glass. He didn't put any thought into the spell and just whispered _Brisingr_ which shot a few sparks out of his finger. Well that made sense. The more feeling he put into the spell the bigger the effects. He made a mental note to never think about the River of Fire, Phlegethon because that would probably just make the spell twice as powerful. Coming back from his thoughts, this time he thought about lighting the sticks on fire and said the spell in a normal voice.

The sticks instantly lit up and Percy pumped his fist into the air. He already learned a spell from this world and he was excited. He was looking forward to learning other spells. He wondered what would happen if he used his demigod abilities plus a water manipulation spell together. Would his abilities double?

He just shrugged and decided to test it when he found the spell. He turned back to Maelstrom and could tell he was getting the 'I told you so' look. "How was I to know that you aren't supposed to put a lot of feeling behind the spell!?" Maelstrom just slightly lowered his head still giving him the 'look.' " _And that was why I got behind you._ " Percy just grumbled after that.

Hey Guys! Here's another chapter for TIH (The Incoming Hero). Hope you guys are enjoying it so far and stick with me with my slow updates ;) Anyway, I don't really have anything else to say so feel free to leave a quick like or comment. It's always entertaining to see what you guys have to say. Also, just a reminder, this is my side story since I'm putting more focus on The Returning Legend so I can't guarantee update schedules. Last but not least, MERRY CHRISTMAS! 

4,330/12,730 words


	5. It's Not Nice to Bully

Percy and Maelstrom traveled throughout the deep ocean and met many more creatures. They traveled out much farther one time to see if they could find any bigger fish that inhabited this new world. They definitely weren't disappointed.

They met a long serpent creature that looked like a mix between a temple viper and a horned viper with murky green and black coloring. It at first tried to attack them but after they restrained it in ice and calmed it down they actually had a pleasant conversation. They also learned about different areas that they shouldn't venture into because the animals in the depths were 50 times as big as him. Percy blanched at that and agreed that they wouldn't visit those places. After that they traveled in relatively shallow places that would be impossible for those gigantic monsters to reach them.

They also trained during day and night. They worked on their teamwork both in underwater combat and aerial combat. They made sure to focus more on aerial though since they would most likely fight more over land. They also worked on their water manipulation and came up with some good strategies.

They made ice armor one day and both of them agreed that they looked badass. It took Percy a while to make sure the armor covered everything while also not hindering Maelstrom's movements but he got it soon enough. He spent extra time on creating a unique helmet that covered his whole face but also allowed plenty of visibility. Maelstrom also worked on his armor. He froze a few layers around his horns to add strength to them and also extended his claws. A smart idea Percy had was to make a spiked tail since Maelstrom's tail was thin and wouldn't do much damage even as a whip. Other than that he added armor plates along the rest of his body and wing joints.

After traveling for quite a while, Percy sensed a few big ships traveling together and decided to check it out. As they got closer, Percy sensed another ship ahead of it and guessed that the multiple ships were chasing that one.

Now that his interest was piqued, they swam up to the side of the boat and Percy sneakily willed the water to push him up so he could peek. He almost made a startled sound when he saw the armed soldiers working hard to gain speed. There were so many of them and Percy confirmed that all three were the same.

Now he was really curious as to who they were chasing so Percy and Maelstrom pushed themselves forward to reach the next ship. It only took them half a minute before Percy once again willed himself up near the bow of the ship. Percy was even more surprised at the occupants. They were just villagers!

They did have a nice boat for just villagers and now that Percy thought about it, he wondered if this was the boat that blew up the pier. Even if they were the ones then Percy was starting to think they had a reason. Why would a whole town of villagers steal a battleship? Percy might have done it if the owners pissed him off, but they weren't him and it would be a lot harder and riskier for them to do it.

He felt the boat start to turn towards the cliff and wondered what their plan was unless they had a magician that could lift the boat out of the water. However he doubted the villagers had one let alone one that strong. He soon noticed a path between the cliffs and thought that would be a smart plan since the other boats were catching up on them.

However, he sensed the swirling whirlpools and wondered if they knew about them. Judging by their frantic shouts to be prepared and everything, he decided they did and were willing to take the chance. That _was_ pretty much their only option because there wouldn't be land anytime soon and the boats would catch up to them before that.

Percy and Maelstrom communicated mentally and decided that they would help the villagers. When he was watching them he saw many emotions on their faces and in their body language. Fear, worry, and dread were seen across many of them but Percy looked past that. He saw true determination to get past this seemingly impossible barrier and if they were criminals then they wouldn't have that type of determination.

He got back onto Maelstrom and they swam underwater into the pass before the boat went through it. "Maelstrom, I'll focus on slowing the whirlpool down enough for them to get through and you can slightly push the ship so they won't notice them being helped. We still haven't trained enough to come out of hiding so I would prefer no one sees us." They both agreed and Percy starting focusing on the swirling water, prepared to slow it down at the right time.

Just as the whirlpool started to suck in the ship, Percy focused on pushing the whirlpool in the opposite direction to slow down the current. He tried not to do too much lest it become noticeable but soon figured that it would probably help if Maelstrom also pushed the boat because if he slowed it down any more than there would be visible effects.

Maelstrom froze the stern and began to push the boat forward. He had a rocky start trying to adjust to the current and try to be unnoticeable but a few more experienced shipmen probably figured that something happened that wasn't the whirlpool. Percy and Maelstrom just hopped they thought they hit debris or something. Even if they didn't Percy couldn't even imagine them coming up with the actual situation.

Once the boat was finally through, their attention was brought back to the trailing boats and Percy decided that he would do the opposite for them. He let the current pick up its speed and smirked viciously before speeding up the current and making it slightly bigger. The boats soon found their way to the bottom of the whirlpool and knew no more. They looked back towards the villager boat and were surprised to see that it was starting to burn.

They instantly swam up next to it and saw that the army boats must have shot green, flaming arrows at it before they sunk. Since the crew was focused on putting the fire out in the middle of the boat, Percy willed a wave to wash over the side of the boat to smother the flames. He actually had to keep the water over it for a few seconds to put out the fire, and Percy absently wondered what spell was used to prevent the fire from being quenched with water. Once done, they quickly dove down deeper in the water to prevent from being seen.

Percy and Maelstrom watched as the boat floated through the safer part of the passage and they could practically feel the relief coming from the occupants. They both smiled at each other for doing a good job and went back to where they sunk the boats.

There weren't any survivors from the crash, not that Percy was surprised, so they decided to loot them knowing the whirlpools would prevent anyone from recovering the treasure. They dove deep down and were amazed at how many boats were down there. There had to be at least 50! He started to wonder how many boats were chased through this pass or if many crews were just cocky enough to assume they could make it.

Percy just shrugged and started gathering the materials. He froze an extremely large ice bag and had it float behind them to put the treasures inside. After spending about a day gathering everything, they found an underwater trench and put it all into there so they could come back later and collect it. They were essentially millionaires now judging by the amount of gold, weapons, gems, and other items they collected. Maelstrom made a comment about feeling like a true dragon hoarding treasure which just made Percy chuckle. They didn't even have to worry about someone taking their treasure because nature prevented anyone from trespassing, let alone getting to it.

They decided to follow the villager boat since they seemed to have a destination in mind and Percy needed to find more information anyway. It wasn't like they were heading in any specific direction so it didn't matter. It only took them until noon to catch up after sleeping for the night. So, they just lazily swam around the ocean making sure to keep the boat within their senses in case something else attacked them. They didn't know why but they decided to protect the boat. They guessed they saw innocent women and children trying to run from the guards and got a protective vibe or something.

They both just went along with it and trained some more underwater as the traveled at snail speed compared to their usual. An interesting thing they learned about Maelstrom was that he apparently breathed frost 'fire' instead of a regular fire. It looked like a blue flame that turned the water into ice instead of boiling it.

They practiced different variations of it and found out that Maelstrom could control the temperature too. So far, he could get his frost attacks below subzero temperatures and only got colder the more he practiced. Percy wondered what his limit was or if he would hit absolute zero as he grew older and practiced more.

Sometimes, Percy would perch on the side of the boat and watch the villagers with Maelstrom looking through Percy's eyes. He learned many things while listening in and also enjoyed getting some entertainment. It was a nice change to the usual exploring they did and they welcomed the change.

One time Percy enjoying watching a group of children playing near the stern of the boat and was so engrossed by their childlike playing that he was startled when he hear heard a childlike voice right beside him. "Who are you?"

Once Percy's heartbeat slowed down and being relieved that he had his ice helmet on just in case something like this happened, he turned towards the small child who was squatting down staring right at him with curiosity brimming in his eyes.

Percy just smiled, always loving children and said, "Someone." The kid then had a confused look and replied, "Your name can't be someone. My name is Caden. What's yours?"

Percy thought for a second and said, "You may call me Aqua." The little boy smiled at the more name-like name and Percy's only thought was how cute he was. He soon noticed the other children had stopped playing and were coming towards Caden and him.

He debated on going back into the water but didn't decide quick enough when another kid asked, "Who is that?" This one was probably the oldest of the group around 9 years old. Caden just smiled at the boy and said, "This is Aqua. I found him watching us and he looked lonely so I came to talk to him." The other children gathered around and smiled at Percy.

"What's that on your head?" came from another kid. Percy chuckled which sounded a little funny through the helmet. "This is an ice helmet I created. It protects me from bonking my head." The children looked at it fascinated before a young girl asked to touch it.

Percy nodded his head and said, "It'll be cold." The girl shyly came and put her hand against it before snatching her hand back. "It is cold!" The other children starting feeling his helmet until Percy couldn't keep the laughter in and laughed along with the kids.

Percy was about to say something until he heard someone approaching the group of kids. He quickly told them not to mention seeing him to any of the adults and he may visit again later before he dropped back into the water.

Maelstrom admonished him for being so careless of his surroundings but Percy could tell that he got plenty amusement from the children too. They kept following the boat and popped back up every once in awhile wherever the children played. At first Percy didn't show himself because he always saw an adult watching from a distance but whenever they lazed up and let the children play unsupervised Percy would come.

It actually became a game for the children to find different ways to make the adults go away once they found out Aqua wouldn't come when an adult was nearby. Percy showed them cool tricks with water and even made some ice sculptures that he made move around like animals.

Even though they only got to play a few times for short periods of time, everyone enjoyed those small moments of fun and Percy even made small little figurines for the children and told them to not show them to adults because they would question where they got them.

Percy really thought he sounded like a creep or something by the constant warning not to tell their parents and probably wasn't the best of influences on them in that regard. However, he wasn't planning on doing anything to them and he would warn them not to just trust random strangers just because he was trustworthy before they reached their destination.

Other than that Percy and Maelstrom explored the new ocean terrain and came across a couple of coral reefs. They actually found humongous fish that was a perfect meal for Maelstrom, and Percy ate food he got from the sunken ships. The soldiers were kind enough to keep the food in a locked cupboard that didn't let any water into it.

Percy couldn't wait to finally reach their destination and wondered how he was going to go about it. Eh, he would figure something out judging by the situation. They continued with the journey looking forward to what was next in their adventure.

~~~ Earlier on the Dragon Wing ~~~

"Put your back into it men!" The captain yelled as they headed towards the pass. They all knew the risk they were undertaking but they had no choice. The enemy warships behind them were gaining on them and would be within range in no time.

All the men roared with all their strength as the vessel slowly gained speed. They hoped it was enough and gave 110% to get past this seemingly impossible obstacle.

On the deck men worked just as hard to angle the ship exactly as needed and move the sails to catch the most wind. They could see the swirling, dark water getting closer and closer and they would be lying if they said they weren't afraid.

Roran was by the ship captain helping keep the ship steady. "Is there a chance?" The captain was silent as he looked over the bow of the ship. "Aye, there is a chance. Small, but a chance nonetheless."

That was all Roran needed to hear as he shouted encouragements at the men and reminders of the families on board who were counting on them.

They immediately felt when the swirling current caught them in its grasp and Roran had to physically help hold the wheel. It was only a several seconds of fighting the current when they felt something push them forward with a quick jerk.

The captain's and Roran's eyes locked for a second before the vibrating wheel brought their attention back to it. They would focus on whatever that was later.

What felt like hours later but was actually a few stressful minutes, they finally reached the other side of the whirlpool and were relatively in the clear. Roran looked back and was surprised that the bigger ships were following them through the pass.

When he looked at the whirlpool, it seemed almost like it was spinning faster than it was for them. He was sort of proven right at the speed the ships were dragged into the current and out of sight.

However, before the first ship went down, flaming green arrows were shot out of the ship and sailed through the air towards them. At first Roran didn't understand why they would even try since they were out of range but was proven wrong when the arrows stayed in the air heading towards them. He cursed magic knowing it provided aid in that and watched as the flaming arrows plunged into the ship.

"We can't put them out!" One of the ship crew yelled. Roran thought for a moment as he descended down to help and yelled back, "Break apart the burning parts and throw them overboard!" The men soon put out the fire on the center of the ship and Roran went to put out the fire on the stern.

What he came upon surprised him. The arrows were no longer flaming meaning they must have been put out by something. Movement caught his eye off to the right and he blanched at the sight. He was sure he just saw a long, webbed tail and wondered what creature it was.

The crew's cheers brought him back to the present and he celebrated with the men on their achievement. He locked eyes with the captain and they both knew something else happened during their struggle. They both silently agreed to meet later to discuss the possibilities.

Later that night, Roran, the captain, and some experienced seamen met to talk about their close escape.

The captain started the discussion. "I first want to congratulate everyone for their hard work on overcoming this obstacle. However, I think we can all agree that we weren't the only ones responsible for our escape."

They all looked around at each other and agreed that something else happened. The captain continued, "The first thing I noticed was that the whirlpool seemed to slightly slow down. It wasn't anything that I would have noticed if I wasn't paying attention to the sea level on the rocks. The water seemed to level out more the closer we got. That was my first clue as to something wanted us to pass.

"The next was the push. That could be passed as us hitting some debris from pass ships but it seemed to push us forward more than actually hit us. So it was either the best luck anybody had ever heard of or something gave us a push. I'm willing to bet the later considering the other factors."

Roran contributed the next fact. "The next thing we noticed was the fire arrows on the hull. The flames were put out leaving regular arrows embedded into the ship. That wasn't what was most disconcerting though. At the time I thought I had imagined it but I saw a long, webbed tail descend into the depths. The tail was as thick as a leg meaning some big beast was around the area at the time."

He paused to look at the men. "It seems preposterous but I'm guessing that it was that beast that pushed the boat forward." He was answered with silence as they tried to understand the implications. A beast helped them through the pass. Why? And if it helped them why didn't it help the other ships.

The men knew none of them could answer those questions so they went unasked. The captain took charge again. "The last thing we noticed was the currents after we passed. Not only did they go back to normal speed but they seemed to increase like they wanted to suck up the ships faster." That didn't help calm the men at all when they thought about the pass judging who could go past.

Roran picked up when the captain finished. "It would most likely be the case that the beast was the one controlling the currents or something with it. The beast could have been commanded by something that could communicate with it but there really is no telling." The men all nodded.

While they were grateful for the help, it still worried them that the beast and a possible companion was still following them just under the water. And if it could control powerful whirlpools than what was stopping it from creating one right under them.

Roran brought them back on topic. "The only thing we can do now is continue our way to Surda and ask any magicians there if it would be possible to control that amount of water or if it was some supernatural beast. There is nothing we can do about it now and since it helped us through the pass then I doubt it would sink us now. Let's continue about our business and finish any repairs that need to be made in case we encounter any problems." All of the men agreed and left the room except for two.

The captain looked up and watched Roran wave a nervous hand through his hair. "I don't know if something so powerful exists, lad but the best we can hope for is it either leaving us alone or peacefully following us. There is nothing we can do against anything that strong physically and magically. Get some rest. We have work to do tomorrow." Roran gave him a small smile and a slight nod before heading out.

He barely made it to the bed when he collapsed from the exhausting day filled with nerve-racking chases and dangerous waters. For some reason, he hoped that whatever helped them would stay with them. It helped them once and it may do so again. And anything that powerful would be a great asset in the war.

He dreamt of great sea serpents wrapping around enemy ships and pulling them under the water. He watched all the while and greeted the serpent on board his own ship and thanked him for the help. It nodded its head and went back into the ocean quickly disappearing from view. Roran smiled in his dream thinking that would be pretty cool.

It was a week later that another strange occurrence caught the adults' attention. It wasn't anything supernatural that attracted them but the rare occurrence of complete silence other than the splashes of waves and creaking of boards.

It took them a while to notice but it was the children's screaming and laughing they weren't hearing. Some went to go check on them to make sure they were okay and were relieved to see them all huddled up around the stern.

They were about to go back and relieve the parents but stopped and turned back around. When did kids quietly huddle up together against the back of the boat away from prying eyes? At least, when they weren't causing mischief.

As the adults walked towards them to see what they were up to, the children started to stand and play again. The adults paused in confusion at the abrupt change and their suspicion grew. They asked a few kids what they were doing over there but all they said was that they were just talking.

Not seeing any damage or harmful intent, they decided to leave it alone for now, but they knew they would probably regret it later. One stayed behind to watch the children while the others went back to the other adults and said children were being children and conspiring against the adults secretively. The adults just laughed it off at the time.

Soon, the crew and its occupants started to notice that the people they assigned to watch the children always got distracted with something and leaving the kids alone. When they got back the children would be once again huddled up against the stern and would disperse when the adults got close.

This started worrying the adults so they set up plan to find out what they were doing. Some of the crew waited out of sight this time for the children to gather and one of them walked out. The children instantly stood up when they shouldn't have even know an adult was there.

The ship crew came out after knowing something suspicious was definitely going on and went to question them. They mumbled some things and responded very vaguely until a parent yelled, startling one of the children making him drop a small ice figurine.

Everyone froze at the sudden crack of ice hitting the floor and all the crew looked on confused at how they got ice. Roran tried to figure it out too. There wasn't even any ice on the ship so somehow the water was frozen. Like someone willed the water to be frozen ... magic.

That thought sent panic through him. The last time they saw magic was someone controlling water, and ice is another form of water. That means that whatever helped them before was following them and ... playing with the kids.

He at first didn't want to think of it as playing, but when he looked at the ice, he saw it was in the shape of a horse. What else would little kids do with that? However, the main question now was why has whatever it was taken an interest in the children and not the adults?

Now that he knew the situation a little better they could really start the discussion. "Children," he began, waiting for each of them to meet his eyes. "You are meeting someone, correct?" He gave them a look telling them it would be very bad for them to lie.

Most the older ones just didn't answer but the little ones nodded their heads and sniffled a little. What for he didn't know. "What have we told you about talking to strangers?" While he sounded calm on the outside, he was quite scared for everybody on the ship, most importantly the children. He couldn't let it show unless he wanted everyone else to panic. The parents were looking warily over the sides of the ship which was an obvious sign of what they thought.

One of the small children yelled out, "But Aqua is nice!" Some of the older children glared at the kid who instantly looked down at his feet and cried silently, knowing he should have kept quiet. The name solidified Roran's suspicions on who they were dealing with. Whoever helped them in the pass was now following them and apparently speaking with the children.

"Well why doesn't he just come out and talk to us?" He was met with silence and avoiding eyes of the children. He made his voice stern and said, "We already know you're meeting with someone so it won't make a difference. Now I'll ask this again, why won't he talk to us?"

He caught the eye of one of the younger ones peaking and gave him the 'look.' Apparently the older one who the little one was clutching saw the 'look' and actually glared at Roran. "He didn't tell us why. All he said is that he didn't want the adults knowing. Probably because he knew you would yell at us and try to prevent us from seeing him." He finished with another glare and put a hand on the small child next to him.

Most parents and Roran finished listening when they heard that Aqua told them not to tell their parents. If that wasn't the classic 'something is about to happen to your kids' then they didn't know what was. The parents immediately rushed in and grabbed their children from the throng of young people and berated them for listening to a stranger that told them not to tell anyone.

They were sequestered inside the ship for the rest of the day in time out and were then on given 'guards' 24 hours a day. It was pure torture for the kids and they were sad that they wouldn't be able to see Aqua anymore because he wouldn't come out with adults around.

Most the kids knew why they were in trouble because you should never trust strangers but Aqua was different. Just by talking to him, anybody could tell that he was pure of heart and some of the older ones already figured out that it was probably him that saved the ship because how else could they have got past the whirlpool that was known to take out _every_ ship that passed through it?

They, of course, tried telling their parents that but their words fell on deaf ears. The ship soon became even quieter than before and the parents knew why that was. The children weren't laughing anymore and when children aren't lively it affects everyone else. It was a somber ship that sailed through the ocean and it started to affect everyone's nerves.

The parents tried to play with their children to get them laughing and forget about Aqua but they never forgot. They would follow their parents' instructions but it was obvious that they weren't in it.

One day, however, some crew members saw a small group of children talking excitedly together and actually laughed. Soon, the rest of the ship had small pockets of laughing children with smiles on their faces.

At first, the parents were relieved that they finally forgot about Aqua but something wasn't right. They always whispered to each other before laughing out loud and whenever an adult drew near then they stopped whispering and talked normally like nothing was amiss.

Everybody started worrying again knowing this was exactly like earlier. However, they hadn't seen any kids stop to talk over the rail or anything so they didn't think they were talking to Aqua.

A couple days later was when things started going south for the adults on the ship. They would randomly slip just walking along the dry boards or their food tasted weird at times. They'd find smelly things laying around and pretty much anything else imaginable that would be considered a prank.

They knew the kids had something to do with it since they were quietly laughing twice as much. The crew tried to catch them in the act but they never did anything even though the pranks kept coming.

The only console they had was that they were almost at Surda. Just a few more days of the children's payback and they would be in the clear.

The knowledge that they would be reaching the city within the day was sigh worthy. The children also knew they were almost there and it seemed like they doubled their efforts to get all their ideas out before they had to stop.

The parents still never caught one of the children pulling the prank and they didn't want to get onto them because even the men noticed that at least the ship was livelier. Everyone knew that a quiet ship was a boring and depressing ship. So, they persevered through it and even laughed at some of the ingenious pranks.

When they finally saw the city in the distance, they were relieved to finally get off the sea and were looking forward to land. As they grew closer, they soon noticed they may not get to rest as soon as they thought. Because they saw a battle going on and heard the clang of metal even as far as they were.

A roar of a dragon could be heard in the distance that only brought more fear to their hearts. They only hoped they would survive this next adventure.


	6. I'm a Carvahallian

Percy and Maelstrom were once again following the ship but were now quite bored. Their entertainment had been taken away from them, and they couldn't just leave now that they've put this much effort into following them.

Percy went up to see what happened to the children after a day went by without any kids on the deck. He soon concluded that the parents must have figured something out since the kids were in the hull and the parents looking over the edge of the boat every once in awhile.

He sighed and rested on Strom's back as they drifted through the ocean. They, or at least Percy, had many stories to show or tell so that's what they did. If possible, the bonding experience brought them even closer.

Before, Percy just told Maelstrom the highlights of his life which included many of his adventures. Now, though, he told him inconsequential things that showed Percy's real character. He talked about how he would help his mother make blue cookies because his stepfather said food couldn't be blue. He talked about Grover and Annabeth when they weren't on life threatening quests. All in all, Maelstrom learned what made Percy who he was now.

They were in the middle of a story about a mock arena battle when they both felt something fall off the boat. It was so light that they almost missed it, so they wondered what it must have been. To finally do something else, they went over and found a small piece of paper.

After pulling the water out of it, Percy's eyes opened in shock. It was a letter from one of the children! He quickly read the rest and couldn't help but smirk evilly.

While he completely understood the parents actions, Percy thought they deserved some payback too. As added bonus, it would also raise the children's mood. He could tell in the undertones of the letter that it was a very quiet and depressing ship at the moment.

Luckily, the children were smart enough to ask him to do something instead of asking for a reply because he had no writing utensils on him and no other way to contact them.

The request was simple. They knew he could control water and ice so they asked him to trip up their parents and the crew. Of course, they said not to injure them, just frustrate them.

Well, Percy and Maelstrom could do that. He felt Maelstrom leave his mind and both smirked at each other. Percy may have even cackled a little. Such a simple thing was driving him to evil cackles ... he really needed to alleviate his boredom.

Fortunately, this prank business seemed to be just the thing he needed.

Over the next couple of weeks, Percy and Maelstrom fulfilled the children's requests and laughed at the confused adults. Some of their ideas were so childish but so ingenious that he looked forward to pulling. The children smartly made sure they were in sight of parents when he was setting up and playing the prank.

He actually got to talk to one of the kids during his bathroom break and Percy was thanked for helping with their payback.

When he finally sensed land, he tackled his dragon in joy, even if it didn't do much underwater. As the underwater crew and ship neared land, the clanging of swords and battle cries were heard.

Percy and Maelstrom looked at each other and had a quick mental conversation.

" _What do you think we should do?"_ Percy asked. He didn't want to just pick a side and fight for them because he may not agree with what they were fighting for. And that would be when the term, 'hindsight is a bitch,' would be used.

The roar of dragon could be heard, and when Percy surfaced enough he saw two dragons fighting in the air. He ducked back under and said, _"Well, that changes things."_

 _"I agree. I don't believe I should show myself until we know it's safe to do so. The history books you read apparently weren't recent enough to include new dragons so it would be better to stay incognito until further information is obtained."_

Percy nodded his head. " _Agreed. I can follow these villagers and if they fight and/or I'm unable to stay hidden, I can just pretend I'm fighting to the best of my abilities. After the battle I can gather information and we can come to a conclusion at a later date."_

The quickly made plan was as sound as it was going to get, and Percy left Maelstrom as he headed to where the villagers were docking. He felt a small pang in his chest and he realized this was the first time he was leaving Maelstrom since he met him.

Their bond was apparently already strong enough to actually feel the effects of separation. Luckily, it was just emotional and not physical, or they would have had to remake their plans.

As they neared the port, Percy was glad to see that the fighting seemed to be more upriver and they could dock safely. However, whoever was steering the ship apparently wanted to join the battle and angled to head upstream.

Percy sighed and followed slightly behind them. Hopefully the villagers wouldn't dock and physically fight instead of using the ballista.

As they neared the battle, Percy couldn't help but sigh in relief again. They were thankfully using the ballista. However, one person jumped onto land to join the battle.

Percy debated joining the battle or not but decided against it. If the entire village went, he could have hidden himself in the masses. However, if he followed just that guy, it would be obvious he wasn't part of the villagers' group.

Anyway, he didn't know if something would attack the ship and he should definitely stay to protect it, just in case.

He watched the battle with Maelstrom looking through his eyes. He also got a good look at the blue dragon and its rider who appeared to be a mix between an elf and human. The dragon wasn't too much bigger than Maelstrom but Percy knew just the slightest bit of weight difference could turn the tides of battle. Hopefully they wouldn't have to find out who would win.

The battle didn't last much longer with the new artillery joining the battle. It looked like the black dragon won the battle with the blue one but it seemed the dragon just left without finishing it. Percy wondered for a moment why that would be and just assumed that the rider was there to distract the other rider so the army could focus on the battle.

The remaining army started marching back to Surda with the ship going back to the port. As the villagers starting getting off, Percy stealthily pulled himself out of the water and walked along the edges of the villagers at the back.

He discreetly looked around and sighed when he say nobody noticed his entrance. His clothes probably would have stuck out more if they weren't so filthy, but he at least looked like he belonged if nobody focused on him.

However, some of the villagers did look at him with a little confusion but Percy guessed they thought he was someone from Surda sticking with them for the moment. The group passed battleworn men, bustling healers going from tent to tent, some elves who eyed the villagers with suspicion, and even some nobles who happened to be wandering around the city.

They all had a quick dinner and were lead to a small housing area for everybody. Percy integrated with a couple of villagers to at least make it look like he belonged with them and surprisingly got to play with the children too. Either the parents were too tired to care and wanted their children happy, or they trusted the people in Surda. He hoped it was the first and they paid more attention tomorrow because Percy doubted this was the safest of places. That's one reason why he 'joined' the group while they were too tired to truly take notice.

As he laid on a cot next to two families he talked to during dinner, he couldn't help but mentally pat himself on the back. He felt proud that he was able to integrate himself with the villagers and hopefully learn some more information in the coming days.

He didn't know that he may not have been as flawless as he thought.

~~~ After Battle Meeting ~~~

In the middle of a large tent was a round table with various leaders and commanders of the resistance. There were military commanders of the armies, human, dwarf, and urgal, some elves scattered about, Nasuada, Eragon and Saphira, Roran, and several other leaders and dignitaries.

They were discussing how the battle went and what they could do better for the next battle. Different strategies were thrown out along with much shouting at the stupidity of some. At the end when they were asked if there was anything else that needed to be pointed out, Blödhgarm stepped up about the new arrivals.

"I have something to say about the new arrivals." He didn't have any emotion showing on his face and some people in the tent took that phrase as derogatory.

Roran spoke up for the first time and said, "They can be trusted and won't cause any trouble. If there is anything you need them to do please tell me and we'll do the best we can to help."

Blödhgarm glanced at Roran but seemed to dismiss him soon after. "I wasn't talking about the villagers. I believe someone not of their group entered the city with them."

The silence was deadly. The possibility of a spy infiltrating their ranks was a grave matter. Eragon was already wary of spies since the twins kidnapped Murtagh.

Nasuada spoke up in a calm tone to keep everyone from panicking. "Can you describe what you saw and why you think he wasn't part of the group?"

The elf nodded. "He actually acted like he was part of the group the whole time. He talked with the adults like he's known them for a long time and even played with the children unlike any of the other villagers. His actions were not what made me suspicious of him. It was what he was carrying."

He paused as he looked around the awaiting group. "A dragon rider's sword."

The air stilled with the silence and new tension in the room. Usually one would expect demanding shouts for information or demands to send out a group to interrogate him.

However, the quiet lasted until Nasuada was the one who spoke up again. "Are you sure?"

Blödhgarm just nodded his head. "I didn't recognize the sword itself but I do recognize the mark of our smith. The jewel at the end of the handle, the grip, and the sheath of the sword matched designs she would have used. It is unmistakably a dragon rider's sword."

Nasuada numbly nodded her head. "Is it possible for this person to have the sword without having a dragon?" They all knew Galbatorix had an extra egg and if he was able to hatch another dragon then this war just became close to impossible to win.

Blödhgarm actually sighed and said, "It is close to impossible to even find a dragon rider's sword. The only people I know who could have given it to him would either be too selfish or only give it to him if he had a dragon. So, it is highly likely that there is another dragon around the area."

Saphira actually spoke up next. _"Did you sense he was a threat? While it is a high chance he is in league with Galbatorix, we cannot just assume and attack him."_

Blödhgarm thought for a second before answering. "The way he acted wasn't suspicious at all. It also didn't look like he was trying to lay low either. He genuinely looked like he was part of the group or wanted to be part of the group. His clothes even matched the villagers with how dirty he was. The only reason I suspected anything of him was because of the sword.

"And that is also something I should note. Everyone knows it was the elves that made the rider's swords. He carried it around on his waist like he didn't know the significance of it, like it was just another sword. It would be illogical for any spy to carry around that sword if they didn't want to be seen.

"If I had to give my opinion on the matter, I don't think he is with Galbatorix. His smiles and enthusiasm were too real to be faked and mixing that with his obliviousness of the sword leads me to believe that we have an unknown factor joining this war. How we go about this is crucial to how this unknown player will react."

Everybody was deep in thought on how they should go about confronting this enigma. If it was a spy of Galbatorix, then it was either a pretty bad one or was acting that way on purpose to cause a big disturbance. However, if he wasn't on either side and just followed the villagers to see what the resistance was like, then there was a possibility to gain a powerful ally.

Nasuada broke the silence. "I believe the best way to go about this is to have Eragon talk to him. While there is a chance this man is a spy, it seems more likely that he isn't. Eragon also is from Carvahall and can hopefully trip him up. Saphira and several other elites can be hiding not too far away in case a battle commences. We need to do our best to keep the hostility down because if he does have a dragon and it starts attacking the city," she paused as everybody felt the shiver run down their spines, "the devastation that could occur would be unrecoverable."

They all nodded their heads agreeing that it would be best not to antagonize him. Eragon probably was the best choice since many others would already treat him differently. The elves would act superior to any human, an urgal going up to him could be seen as an attack, the dwarfs' straight forward and gruff personality could rub the wrong way, and many of the human leaders would just expect obedience.

Eragon could possibly connect better with the man than any of them. It would be even more beneficial if Eragon befriended the other dragon rider. Another strong symbol of hope to the people could greatly advance their war efforts.

The meeting soon ended when they were done making plans. They decided to meet back in two days' time after some of their spies asked around about him. The group left with a nervous, solemn air around them. They hoped nothing awful occurred as Eragon confronted him.

~~~ Two Days Later ~~~

The meeting commenced once again and the spies relayed their information. Apparently, his name was Percy and he was around 19 years old. He acted like he had always been a part of the group and looked like he was legitimately enjoying himself.

Given the information, the group agreed that Eragon meeting him was still the best plan and convened the meeting. They were even more nervous and hoped everything worked out. However, no one was more nervous than the dragon rider himself.

Percy was having a great time and had definitely learned a lot since coming to Surda. One of the major things he learned was that the Varden was the main resistance with other groups working with them. The elves came back with Eragon, the dragon rider, from wherever he went, the dwarves came from the mountains to help fight, and the urgals were previously under a spell and joined the resistance after they were released.

At the moment everything was at a precarious balance in terms of relation between the races but it seemed to be working out.

He also was loathe to learn what Galbatorix did to his men to win battles. To be unable to feel pain sounded much worse than he could imagine. Pain was something that gave caution to one's actions. Pain provides an impetus to learn, grow, and improve one's skills. He shuddered when he thought about having his arms cut off without feeling anything. Even during the time with Styx's blessing he could still feel pain, though, through harder means.

At the moment he was 'practicing' swordsmanship with the other villagers. Most of the men could hold and swing a sword without too much stamina training but they had no official coaching to know _how_ to swing a sword.

Percy actually made many friends of the villagers. So much so that he could sometimes be found in the center of their gatherings. His quick humor and positive outlook in these dark times allowed him to make friends with anyone.

At the moment everyone was on break and most were lying sprawled on the ground sucking in deep breaths like it was their last. Percy, while slightly tired, had much more stamina and experience than them so he had to pretend a little to be tired. However, he wasn't on the ground.

He cracked a smile at some of the 'soldiers' moans and walked off to go refill his water bottle. As he was filling his bottle from the well, he sensed someone walking up behind him. Not threatening but was definitely someone coming towards _him_ , not the well.

He finished up and turned around to be struck speechless. Eragon, someone who he didn't think he'd ever meet, was smiling at him and with a little wave of his hand, he said, "Hello."

Still a little surprised, Percy responded with a slightly guarded, "Hello" and nod of his head. He couldn't think of any possible reason for someone so high up to be talking to him and the only similarity he could come up with was something Eragon shouldn't know.

Also, when Percy looked closely at Eragon's posture, he seemed a little tense and sometimes quickly glanced around as if making sure something was still in place. His wariness increased a notch but he didn't let anything show through his now polite mask. He thickened the water vapor around the area and almost jumped in shock when he found himself surrounded.

They couldn't possibly attack him, would they? He hadn't done anything and his actions shouldn't have given anything away. And to plan something like this would take a little more than a day so they knew something about him the very first day he arrived?

An awkward pause settled for a second as it seemed Eragon didn't think his plan thoroughly enough to even hold a conversation, no matter how forced.

Taking pity on him, he asked, "Is there anything you needed?"

Eragon seemed to bring himself together and asked, "I saw you with the Carvahall villagers. Are you from there?"

Percy would have narrowed his eyes at the obvious trap but didn't so much as blink suspiciously. "No, I joined the group very recently as they traveled to Surda. It was fun playing with the children on the ship, definitely pranking all the adults." Percy genuinely laughed at that part and he knew he confused Eragon. Percy shouldn't know anything about what happened on the ship if he wasn't part of the group.

Eragon also seemed to see that he asked the question wrong to trap him but settled with a sigh. When he looked up, his face was a lot more serious and Percy prepared for some statement to match.

"Are you a dragon rider?"

... Percy did not expect that question ... How the hell did he find that out?! Percy didn't even need to review his actions to know he didn't do or say anything to allude to that. He knew some of shock showed on his face and he hoped Eragon took it as shock at being asked _that_ question.

Percy laughed a little to try and act like Eragon was joking. He knew he couldn't lie because it would come out sooner or later and if he had to join a side, it would be the Varden.

Percy mentally connected with Maelstrom and thought, ' _Be prepared for anything. I don't know their plan of action but I may have to fight my out if things go south.'_ He felt agreement from the other side of the bond and focused back on Eragon. The small talk didn't last but a second and occurred during his laugh so he didn't worry about Eragon thinking he was planning.

"What makes you say that?" Though, he was curious about that. He couldn't tell or sense Eragon was a dragon rider so he didn't think it was a bond or anything.

"The sword on your waist is a dragon rider sword which is close to impossible to obtain without a dragon." Well, damn. Getting found out because of a stupid but really awesome sword.

Honestly, Percy was surprised how blunt and honest Eragon was being and he started to think they sent Eragon to question him on purpose. Very few people could ask such serious questions to a possible enemy without at least some accusation or hostility in their voice. While Eragon was suspicious, he didn't seem to be even unfriendly, just serious in case Percy retaliated.

Knowing he wouldn't be able to get out of this and not wanting to join the side who enchants such terrible spells on their army, he sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah, I didn't even think there were swords meant just for dragon riders. Though its design does sort of allude to it now that I think about it."

He looked up and saw that Eragon tensed up even more. He stretched out his senses and could even feel the ambushers preparing for an attack by unsheathing their weapons. He thought they would have just left when he didn't show hostility but apparently they planned to attack him either way.

He didn't want to fight them but he would to escape. He didn't know if he would win since he didn't know their skills but he was decently confident. He had a well right behind him after all.

He narrowed his eyes at Eragon and his hand twitched towards his sword. He made it obvious, at least to Eragon, that he knew about his ambushers by looking at specific spots around him. When he connected his eyes back to Eragon to see that he hadn't moved at all, and it seemed he had something else to say but didn't want to ask.

It only took a couple more seconds of silence to get another question. "Do you work for Galbatorix?"

Percy had to think for a second who that was again since it sounded familiar. OH! The king of this world, at least, he was pretty sure. He really hated history. "The king?" That seemed to be the wrong thing to say in the rebel base as the ones around him seemed to be moving in even more.

So, he quickly amended himself. "No, I didn't know he even existed until about month ago and that wasn't until I read about him." He almost laughed at the shocked look on Eragon's face. He probably said too much about not knowing that since it was more than common knowledge. The king's influence spread across the whole country so he would have to have been a hermit deep in the mountains to not know about him. Well ... that didn't sound like a bad cover story.

His ambushers also showed surprise by their frozen frames. He leaned nonchalantly against the well and waited until Eragon composed himself.

Eragon slightly shook himself out of his stupor and asked, "How have you not heard of Galbatorix before? He rules over everything but the elven forests, dwarven mountains, and Surda and each of those places know about him. Even if the elves don't care for him."

Percy shrugged, not willing to give up that information. "I live deep in the forest," which Camp Half-Blood was in the deep forest, "and haven't ever heard of Galbatorix. I honestly didn't even know there were such things as dragon riders." Though he did ride Festus and wouldn't turn down a ride from Pelus. He still wouldn't have been the same 'dragon rider.'

Eragon seemed to gain a thoughtful frown and asked/stated, "You must be from the Spine?" Percy just shrugged. It could be written off as being a hermit would mean he didn't know what others called his forest. He absently wondered what the forest in Camp Half-Blood was called?

Eragon seemed to buy the hermit story and said, "What do you think of the Varden?"

Well he was definitely blunt. "I have no problems with them. Though, I honestly know close to nothing about them. I'm assuming you either want me to join or help the Varden?" Might as well be blunt too.

Eragon nodded and it seemed to Percy he looked relieved. Whether it was because he wasn't acting hostile towards the Varden or his return bluntness he didn't know.

"Well, I'm not agreeing to join but I'd be willing to listen to a recruitment speech." He smiled to try and lighten the mood and hopefully make the others around him finally sheath their weapons, which they still had out.

"And could you tell your buddies that I'm not a threat." That seemed to remind Eragon of the back-up plan they had. The others seemed to hear him too judging by their now much tenser frames.

Eragon smiled a little sheepishly and Percy was happy to see that it was genuine. Percy didn't like stilted conversations. It didn't match his easygoing personality.

"They heard. Well, if you'll follow me I'll take you to your hours long recruitment speech." Percy laughed. He was starting to like this Eragon fellow.

They walked and talked about nonquintessential things and were honest to goodness surprised at how well they were bonding. Either of them couldn't say how their comradery just came out of nowhere. Their personalities were quite similar in many categories and they just clicked.

The laughing pair walked into the meeting room currently holding the council. Many of them grew scowls or suspicious looks at both Percy and Eragon, though they were oblivious to this at the moment.

They quieted as Eragon and Percy went to their seats and sat down with all eyes on them. When they noticed the silence and tense air, Percy straightened up and Eragon narrowed his eyes at everyone. Though Percy almost did a double take seeing a dragon head poking inside and just about sputtered, which would not have made a good first impression.

Percy was glad that the silence was broken by a dark-skinned woman. "Hello Percy, I'm Nasuada. We apologize for our suspicions of you but we can take no chances in these time of war. I hope you can understand."

Percy could hear the genuine apology in her voice and appreciated it. "I understand. I would do the same if there was a possible spy in my city."

A human two seats away from Nasuada spoke up. "And how do we knew that you aren't a spy?"

Percy just raised an eyebrow and replied, "I don't really know how you could go about checking that. However, I can help disprove any claims you may have to the best of my abilities."

Judging by his smirk Percy didn't think he'd like their methods. "Oh, then would you be willing to take the test to get initiated into the Varden?"

Percy waited a moment to see if he would say what that test would entail but it seemed he thought Percy should know and was scared to do it by his slowly growing smirk.

"Um, can someone explain what that test is?" _Ha_ , that wiped the smirk off his face.

Nasuada, bless her, answered instead of the glaring man. "Initiation into the Varden requires a mind reader to probe your mind to see if you're trustworthy." Oh that makes sense ... WAIT! People can read minds with magic!? Well, his paranoia increased a pretty good bit.

"Um, I didn't know magic could do that. How far back are you going to look? Couldn't you just have someone reading my surface thoughts and true emotions as I answer your questions? Then someone's personal privacy wouldn't be known to others, but you would still find out the truth."

It was quiet for a minute in what Percy would guess was stunned silence. Percy almost sighed at both the Varden and their victims. The Varden for forcing people to reveal parts of their life, and the victims for not coming up with the simple idea. And these people knew about magic, at least this kind, much longer than him.

Eragon seemed to think the same thing when he whispered, "Why didn't I think of that?"

Percy wasn't going to let them view his past, whether before or after entering this world. He could possibly let them see the past two days but anything before that revealed information about his demigod status and Maelstrom.

Nasuada once again was the first to speak, and Percy assumed she was the leader of this conference. "We could be agreeable to that if it is possible." She looked towards one of the people in the corner and got a nod in return.

Percy would have let out a breath of air if it wouldn't have possibly incriminated him. The magic person walked over to him and Percy slowly stood, not knowing what exactly he was suppose to do.

The magician said, "All I'm going to do is put my hands on your head. When you feel an intrusion do not resist. It will just make it more painful."

Percy decided to trust them and closed his eyes, waiting to have his mind invaded. He would allow them this chance to gain some of his trust. Hopefully they wouldn't take advantage of it.

He felt hands lightly grab his head and felt a small probe. He didn't really know how to resist or let it come so he decided to just inspect the probe. He also tried to think about it in critical detail and wanting it to move closer to get a closer look. He imagined a wall with a gate opening for them as he lead them in and over to his emotions. Hopefully that would allow the person to see what they wanted.

When Percy felt some of his memories starting to surface he stopped his 'inspection' and created another mental wall to stop the probe. It appeared to work since the prob almost immediately stopped and he heard a distant voice say he was ready.

Percy was having a hard time focusing on the outside world and hoped they didn't make him answer in sentences.

Nasuada spoke up and a faraway voice, "Are you working for the Empire?" Percy had to think a moment and connect Galbatorix to the Empire and replied, "No."

He was pretty sure the magician nodded and Nasuada asked another question. "Do you have any connections with the Empire, Galbatorix, or his allies?" "No."

Slight pause. "Are you working against the Varden?" That was simple. "No."

"Do you have any intentions to work against or betray the Varden, Surda, or others working for the resistance?" "No" was his simple reply.

That gruff voice from before interrupted their questioning. "Are you willing to fight for the Varden." Percy's face gained a slight scowl. "Not at the moment."

There was some whispering before someone silently silenced them. "Is there chance you will help fight against Galbatorix?" Apparently it was the lovely Nasuada. He was really starting to think they picked an excellent officer to lead them through this war.

His face lost the scowl and said, "Yes."

One of the other humans asked, "Are you really a dragon rider?" Percy thought they were encroaching on territory that didn't need his mind invaded at the time but answered anyway. "Yes."

Slightly louder whispers cropped up this time.

Some smooth voice, he assumed an elf, asked the next question. "Where did you obtain the egg?" Percy scowled again and gave a general answer that really revealed nothing. "In a cave."

The whispers died down as the others seemed interesting in this line of questioning. The elf specified his question. "And where was this cave located?" Percy thought he had given enough information and replied with a terse, "Somewhere. I have answered all your questions truthfully as you requested. I think I have given enough reason to be trusted. May I have my mind back to myself?"

He started feeling the probe again and prepared to push against it if it didn't leave in several seconds. Luckily for both sides, it only lasted for another second before it started retreating.

When Percy couldn't feel it anymore, he opened his eyes and looked around the room. He could tell many weren't satisfied with the questioning but he couldn't care less for them. All that mattered to him was if Nasuada and Eragon believed him. Hopefully she had a tight enough rein on the others to quiet their restlessness.

Nasuada spoke up in a little more friendlier voice. "Yes, Percy. Thank you for allowing us to relieve our concerns." He could tell others didn't exactly agree with that, but they stayed quiet. She looked towards the council and said, "I believe we have heard enough from Percy to not have to worry about our secrets being revealed. I would like to ask Eragon to show Percy around the camp so he can better understand what we are fighting for and hopefully join us. Is there any opposition from this."

She waited in silence for a few seconds as she looked around before looking at Eragon. "Can you show Percy around?" Eragon gave her a small smile and nodded his head. "Yes, come on Percy. I'll introduce you to Saphira and we'll go from there."


	7. New Hope

Percy and Eragon exited the tent and walked back down to the open training area where Saphira could land. Five minutes later, they reached their destination and found Saphira already waiting for them. She was standing up straight with her chest puffed out in a regal stance.

Percy admired her beauty and magnificence. Her gleaming blue scales reflected the light to add a little luster to them. Her strong jaws were set with many smaller horns running along her chin with two pearly white horns stucking out of the top of her head. Scaly, but also feathery, wings sprouted from her back, and all in all, she was very awe-inspiring.

Of course, not as much as Maelstrom but pretty close. He actually felt something in the back of his head that he thought felt like a coo or something and he wondered if Maelstrom was listening to his thoughts.

He felt a brush to his mind, and knowing it was Saphira, lowered his barriers.

" _Hello, Percy. My name is Saphira. It is nice to meet another dragon rider."_ Percy responded with a slight bow and stretched out his mind.

It felt different than how he spoke to Maelstrom. Speaking to his dragon took no effort at all. It was almost like another conscious in his head. Saphira felt like a foreign presence, though not unwelcome or anything.

Percy responded respectfully. " _It is nice to meet such a magnificent dragon. Hopefully you'll be able to meet my dragon, Maelstrom, soon too."_ He felt another foreign presence requesting entry, and going off suspicion, he looked towards Eragon and received a nod.

After letting another through, Percy could actually tell the difference between the separate telepathic waves. Saphira had stronger and regal feel while Eragon had a light, smooth feeling.

Percy responded in his head, " _This feels really weird, you know?"_ All of the sudden he felt a very familiar feeling in his head and didn't even have to open his mind for his dragon's presence.

Percy could tell Saphira and Eragon felt the new mind, and Percy was interested to see that they stiffened noticeably. " _I agree with you, Percy. It almost feels like an intrusion, not bad but not exactly pleasant either."_

Saphira seemed to gather herself first. _"It is nice to speak to you, Maelstrom. One day we will have to fly together."_ All three of them could feel a nod from the faraway dragon. Saphira spoke up again, albeit a little hesitantly. " _I also agree. Percy's mind has a very subtle, dignified air to it, but it seems almost suppressed so it can be looked over. However, your presence makes me think of ... a king of sorts. A noble leader that deserves to be respected and listened to. Just like Percy's but with it out in the open for all to feel."_

Both Percy and Maelstrom could feel Eragon's silent agreement and they contemplated in silence for a moment. The only thing Percy could think of was his demigod status which he now knew he shared with Maelstrom when they bonded.

Most people could feel a god's aura and couldn't help but bow down to it. Percy never really cared for any of that and would prefer people didn't treat him differently. However, Maelstrom was very proud and most likely wouldn't mind people bowing to him.

To break the silence, Percy chuckled and said, " _Thanks for stroking his ego, not like it was big enough already or anything."_ Percy knew Maelstrom was glaring at him without him even needing to feel it.

Eragon and Saphira were still adjusting and he really wondered what his and Maelstrom's minds felt like. He inwardly shrugged his shoulders. Not like it really mattered and it would probably help gain respect.

Eragon seemed ready to talk judging by his open smile. He spoke out loud, "Maybe it's because you're more powerful than other riders or something?"

Percy thought about it and replied, "I don't think so. I only know two spells at the moment while you and many other mages probably know many more. Though I am a skilled sword fighter."

That seemed to spark Eragon's interest. "I could help with some basic spell casting and refer you to other spellweavers. Though sparing would be more up my ally."

Percy smiled and said, "Sounds good to me." Eragon casted a spell that apparently blunted their swords before walking away a few paces. Percy walked away slightly and noticed that they had already gathered a crowd. Many soldiers actually stopped what they were doing and were watching them have a conversation. Though now they would get to see a lot more. Percy smiled and waved at some of the villagers and commanders he practiced with, but only received still shocked looks.

Percy guessed he jumped many stations in a couple hours to be hanging out with a dragon rider, one of the most important people in the war. And the skill he showed them was nowhere near good enough to match Eragon's.

He just smiled knowingly at them and turned around, raising his dragon rider's sword. Once they were both in positions, they assessed each other. Percy could immediately tell Eragon based his attacks with quick movements and powerful strikes. Since he looked elf, Percy assumed he also gained some of their speed and strength so he took that into account too.

Now, the crowd around them grew exponentially. The word spread quickly of a villager sparing against the dragon rider and everybody came to watch. Many were giving Percy sympathetic looks and prepared to call for healers.

Percy ignored everyone around him knowing they wouldn't interfere. He shuffled closer and got a shuffle closer in return. He smirked before charging forward. His speed must have surprised Eragon by his look but he recovered fast.

His blow was blocked but he continued with a twirl to the left and swung again. Once again it was blocked but Percy followed through with three more consecutive strikes. The first two were blocked expertly but the third Percy could tell jarred Eragon a little when he blocked.

Percy jumped back for Eragon to recover and have a go at him. Outside the arena was pure silence that Percy assumed was shock. He just pressed a dragon rider and obviously jumped back for Eragon to attack him when he could have continued.

Eragon immediately used the small break to fix his stance and charged. He attempted a lunge with a followed slash to the right which were both blocked flawlessly. Eragon quickly stepped forward with his right foot and stabbed towards his lower stomach but was once again blocked.

Percy cataloged Eragon was quickly getting a little frustrated that even his elven speed couldn't give him an advantage. His next attacks were a flurry of strikes and was able to push Percy back a couple feet, though Percy never lost his balance.

Percy was amazed at the speed Eragon was fighting with and finally being properly challenged. At camp, he never had such a challenge presented to him because he was always much faster than everyone else. However, Percy could tell Eragon had only some professional practice with a blade and could see small things that Eragon could improve on if he had more practice.

Percy, while not having much professional practice, was a natural at swordplay. He learned through necessity and some guidance. Having your life constantly threatened forced him to become the best he could be. He honestly knew he could improve even further but had no one to push him.

However, now Percy found someone. Eragon could help him improve his speed, balance, and core strength even further.

The battle lasted another 20 minutes until Percy finally knocked the blade out of Eragon's hand. Both were panting and sweating profusely in the sun. The crowd around them was even larger and Percy noticed a few elves in one corner, probably gathering information on him.

Percy smiled and stuck out his hand for a handshake. "Great fight. The main points you should work on is locking your wrist on your strikes and keeping focus. I noticed only a minute in that you no longer focused on your fluidity of strikes and went more towards power and speed. While this could take out many opponents, it could prove detrimental to you if your opponent can match your strength and speed."

It took a moment for Eragon to gather his wits. He still seemed a little shocked ... just like the crowd. ' _Well, oops.'_ Percy thought. He may have gotten lost in the moment and totally did not mean to outshine their greatest hope in front of them.

Hopefully his smile and good sportsmanship attitude would fix everything. He always was a good people's person.

Eragon smiled too and gave him a handshake. "Thanks, you are extremely talented." He pulled Percy closer and added in a quieter voice. "Too good to be fully human though."

Percy stiffened a little at that. He was human, just an enhanced human ... part human, part god ... yeah. Well, that was the best he was going to come up with.

They pulled apart and Percy kept his smile that basically said, 'Well, who knows?' Eragon almost scowled, but he probably understood that they just met and Percy wasn't going to tell him his entire life story.

"So," Percy began. "Now that your lesson is over, you want to give me mine now?" He would have said to teach him magic if they weren't surrounded by gossipers and possible spies.

Eragon nodded his head with a smile. "Sure thing but we'll probably have to meet with another for more in depth lessons."

With that, they made their way through the crowd, shaking people's hands and thanking them for their praise at such an amazing spar. Many asked who Percy was, and he just replied his name and that he was Eragon's friend. There probably was a better way to introduce Percy but that was the best answer they could come up with on the spot without drawing too much attention to Percy.

They finally made it to Eragon's place and sat down on two single couches across from each other.

Eragon thought for a moment before doing his best to explain some basics of magic. He told Percy what he had learned so far and some tips to help improve his control. Eragon said there were four main points for beginners when dealing with magic and their potential: magical skill, raw power, spell creativity, and Ancient Language vocabulary.

Of course, each one could be more important depending on the person, but in general, those were the four factors.

For example, if you were creative enough, you didn't need as much vocabulary to get your magic to do what you wanted. Some have an insane amount of raw power that allows them to last longer even if they weren't creative or knew a lot of vocabulary.

Eragon also told Percy about some important forms of magic for him to practice.

Mind magic was one of the most important forms of magic a magician needed to learn in both offense and defense. During a battle between magicians, the fight was both physical and mental. Each one had to be able to mentally defend and attack while simultaneously physically attacking and defending.

It was a skill best built with experience, but surest way to build a defense around your mind was to concentrate on one thing to the exclusion of everything else. Of course, in battle that was extremely hard to do, which was what he meant by practice makes perfect.

What Percy was most shocked by was the, apparently, instant killing magic. Percy couldn't even imagine one word without much effort on the magician could kill hundreds, if not thousands, of people instantly if they weren't protected.

After learning what Percy should focus on before getting into the actual spells and offensive magic, Eragon taught Percy the ward to prevent instant death since Percy believed that was the most important. He would much prefer having a fighting chance in his mind then just dropping over dead because someone said a word.

Percy was actually able to cast the ward relatively easy after a half hour of practice and also learned some more common wards over the next couple of hours.

After that, they practiced mind magic where Eragon hit a blockade, literally.

"Alright Percy, now that you have the theory down for the wards, you can ask the other magicians here for more information on that topic while we move on to mind magic. Like I said, mental battles are just as common, if not more, than physical battles. And if the enemy gets in, they will have won the battle if help didn't arrive very soon.

"I think the best way to practice is for you focus on one thing to the exclusion of all else and I will try to gain entry to your mind. I'll go easy at first so you can get a sense for what an attack will feel like and will progressively attack harder. If I do break into your mind, I promise to stay in your surface thoughts until I get back into my mind without hurting you. Sound good?"

Percy nodded his head even if he didn't really know if that was the best way to teach someone. Very little theory was explained to him about this mind magic stuff, and he guessed Eragon had to learn this on his own without theory to help him out. No matter though. He would do his best with what he knew and see how well he did.

Percy closed his eyes and focused on the fun he had playing with the children on the boat. He didn't know if the magician could see what he was focusing on so he couldn't think about his world or Maelstrom. So, having fun playing with children it was!

He thought about the pranks he played on the adults and watching from afar as the children giggled with delight and slight malicious glee. He thought about them playing with the little ice figures he made for them and how they exclaimed with awe as he made them. He thought about all the little ones who looked at him with adoring eyes and couldn't help but softly smile back, even if they couldn't see it.

He felt something brush against the 'walls' of his mind but didn't even 'glance' at it. He focused on the children's laughter as he felt much harder hits against his wall. Slowly losing focus and wondering how his mind wasn't breached yet, he imagined himself on the inside of his wall and was amazed that he could see a wall with spears of light slamming against it.

The blue spears seemed to attack sometimes with great speed but also in big burst of power as if seeing if using different methods would work. Looking at his walls, he didn't even see a dent, not even a scratch!

However, as he looked closer, he started to notice a slight glow to it that distinctly reminded him of the glow of a god when they were battling the titans.

It suddenly clicked that his godly side must give him some type of mind protection against mental attacks. Even with, what he guessed, were Eragon's strongest attacks, they weren't doing anything to gain entry.

Deciding to try and push the attack away, he imagined sending out a burst of energy to drive out the attack. He watched amazed as the blue magic significantly faltered before stopping all together.

Percy mentally smiled before bringing himself back into the physical world. He awoke to see a gobsmacked Eragon.

He tried, he really did. Percy bursted out laughing at Eragon's look and leaned back in his chair as to not fall off and make a fool of himself.

He could hear Eragon whispering breathlessly, "How ... how could you ... but I ... what?" That only increased Percy's merriment until he finally settled down.

Percy let loose one last chuckle before saying pompously, "Well I guess I'm a natural at mind magic. Bow down before me simpleton as my mind conquers all. Bwahahaha!" He only got a deadpan look in return as Eragon stated bluntly.

"You should not have been able to keep me out. I know I'm not that skilled in mind magic but I even used a spell to increase the strength of my attacks while also directing me to your weakest point. I didn't even feel your defense waver an inch under a full assault, for 10 minutes!"

Percy just shrugged, not going to tell him it was his godly side protecting him. "Honestly, weird things like this always happen to me. Some good, some bad, but always weird things that don't happen to other people. I've learned to go with the flow and learn from the experience the best I could. You can't change the past, but you can use it to change the future." Which was true. He found rolling with the flow and learning as you go being the best way to go, even if it was much more dangerous.

Eragon stared at Percy in slight surprise and said, "That is a wise philosophy to have." What Eragon didn't say was that, by the way Percy said that, he could tell Percy experienced many of these scenarios and learned that lesson the hard way.

They talked for a little while longer before Eragon was summoned to see Nasuada. On his way out, he told Percy to explore his mind and magic to improve his connection in order to better cast spells.

Percy nodded absentmindedly, already focusing inwards. He thought about all the lessons he just learned but was stuck on a few things. Being half god, he could do 'magic' without any special words or great effort. Even if it only applied to water magic, and based off what Eragon was talking about, the people of this world would already consider him an expert magic caster since he could silent and wordlessly use magic. Percy didn't even know if these people could do magic wordlessly.

Combining that thought with how his godly side affected his mental walls, did that mean he was different from everyone else and didn't need to use words to do magic, other than helping him focus (he took into account the consequences of losing focus while doing magic).

Also, Eragon talked about the _Brisingr_ spell, and the way he described it didn't really sound as powerful as Percy made it on the beach. Which also made him assume that his godly side increased the amount or potency of his magic.

If that was true, then he didn't have to necessarily worry about two of the four main points of magic: raw magic and Ancient Language vocabulary. He could learn a few generalized words to help him focus but his imagination and belief should be able to do the rest.

The other point, magical skill, was just practice and more practice to improve his proficiency in magic. Only time and experience could help with that one.

He already 'found' his magic. It was located in the same place he always felt the pull when using his water abilities. When he mentally touched it, he felt a pleasant tingle across his whole body, almost as if his magic was happy to be acknowledged. He sighed in pleasure as he basked in the feeling.

Focusing, he lightly pushed his magic into his gedwëy ignasia and watched as it light up. Holding his concentration, he willed a small flame to appear in his hand with a whispered, " _Brisingr._ "

The flame that appeared in his hand was completely different than the fire blast on the beach. If that attack represented the aggressive and unrelenting aspect of fire, this small flame reminded him of Hestia and the hope and feeling of acceptance that came with her. This flame was one to warm and protect. To be a light in the darkness for one who lost their way.

Percy could feel his magic almost agreeing with him and ... rejoicing in its own way, strangely. He willed the flame to rise up in the air and watched as it slowly moved its way up. He tried to make it go faster but noticed right away it started to flicker and immediately brought his concentration back to keeping the flame still and bright.

It slowly went back to normal as Percy sighed. So there was a limit, which was to be expected. This part must be the magical skill. He may could do spells easily, but controlling them was a different matter. He could probably expertly control water spells but that would more than likely be because of his father's domain.

Deciding to practice more with his small flame, he poured all his attention to manipulating the flame. By the time Eragon came back, his control over flame was beyond extraordinary for a beginner, though not that Eragon saw when he came inside. Percy didn't want to break his new friend or make him even more suspicious of Percy's origins.

~~~Eragon~~~

Eragon slowly made his way to Nasuada's office as he contemplated the enigma he just left. Everything about Percy was one surprise after another. The crazy thing was that Percy seemed to be oblivious to everything he did. It was just like he said. He went with the flow and did his best to stay in it.

First of all, Percy's sword fighting skills were beyond extraordinary. While Eragon was fighting him, Percy looked like he was barely even trying. The way he graciously moved after every block and strike spoke volumes of his skill and experience. That amount of skill was impossible to get while living a life as a hermit in some unpopulated mountains.

Additionally, his body's fighting ability alone was noteworthy without even including his skill. His flexibility, strength and speed were on par if not greater than his own. Judging by the amount of effort he used, Eragon was leaning more towards the latter.

Next, Percy's natural skill in magic was simply unbelievable. Eragon was 99.9% sure Percy had never used magic. This conclusion was based on the way Percy responded to Eragon's lessons. He seemed to be genuinely interested and confused on the most basic principles of magic. Principles that anyone could figure out on their own within a day of practice.

However, what preoccupied Eragon's mind the most was trying to figure out how Percy kept him out of his mind. He started out slowly breaking into his mind in order to do a gradual takeover. However, he immediately hit some type of wall.

He'd felt other minds before but had never encountered what he felt as a 'physical' but mental wall, even in the most advanced mages. Elves and other magicians felt like they had a bubble around their head that allowed them to detect invasions, which then allowed them to defend and attack before their defenses were breached.

Percy, on the other hand, had a straight up brick wall. Eragon threw every attack possible at it, but the wall still stood proud and tall. He was pretty sure it was laughing at him at some point ... He shouldn't be too surprised if it did though; it was Percy's wall.

Then came the retaliation. This, however, was very familiar. The only aspect that was different was the amount of force behind it. Just like other mages, magic was used to push the invader out with a strong push, just like Percy did.

However, their strong push was like a five year old trying to push over an adult compared to Percy's. While he was caught by surprise, Eragon still would have been pushed out even if he had expected it, though without the headache that came with it.

He decided he would definitely have to keep an eye on Percy. Not because he suspected Percy was against the Varden, but that he was definitely hiding something major.

He was brought out of his thoughts as he reached Nasuada's door and quietly knocked before hearing a muted 'enter.'

Opening the door and heading inside the spacious office, he was directed to sit across from Nasuada by the wave of her hand.

Sitting quietly and thinking that he knew what this was about, he waited for her to start the conversation.

She shuffled a few more papers, signing here and there, before pushing her work aside and giving him her full attention.

"I got your request to go with your brother to find his girlfriend. While I would normally have reservations but still let you go, I cannot do this currently."

Eragon frowned and slightly tilted his head for Nasuada to continue the explanation.

She sighed deeply before saying, "As you know, we currently have a very powerful unknown in the headquarters of the entire resistance. One that could cause great devastation at any point in time. Even if he wasn't a skilled swordsman, his dragon alone would cause fear amongst the people, not even including the damage it could cause." She raised her hand as she saw Eragon about to interject.

"I know you don't believe he would do that, but, as leader of the resistance, I have to take every possibility into account. Can you say 100% for sure that Percy poses no threat whatsoever to the Varden, whether intentionally or unintentionally?" She paused for a second and waited for Eragon to answer. All he could do was shake his head and agree with her.

She nodded her head in approvement before continuing. "Now, if we had his word that he would fight for the Varden, then we would probably not be having this conversation and you'd be on your way now. Alas, that is not the case. Have you made any progress on convincing him to join?"

Eragon slightly looked away. Over the past couple of hours, he had totally forgot what he was supposed to be doing. Though, he could definitely say he made a friend, and friends usually fight together. So Percy may be more inclined to join.

He was broken out of his thoughts when he heard her sigh. "You forgot to try and convince him didn't you?" Eragon shot her an indignant look.

"If you want to get all political about it, I have been bringing him closer to the our side by becoming friends while also making him indebted to me by teaching him magic. Though he may think it as repayment for helping me in the swordfight." He saw her narrow her eyes at him and he wondered what he said wrong.

"Yes, about that sword fight of yours." _Uh-oh._ "Not only was fighting in front of a crowd a stupid move for multiple reasons, but the people seeing their greatest hope in this war lose probably made their moral falter. You are very lucky Percy made many good impressions with the people in the two days he was here, which honestly is a little suspicious, and also showed good sportsmanship at the end. Then you have to think about possible spies learning about your fighting style and getting a chance to attack you while you were distracted. For all we knew, that could have been Percy's plan from the very beginning."

Eragon ducked his head slightly, knowing he should have thought about these things. Well, he decided to take a note out of Percy's book and learn from his mistakes while going with the flow.

"I'm sorry Nasuada. I should have thought more about how others would have perceived my actions and will make sure to do so in the future." When Eragon looked up, it was to see a slightly surprised Nasuada, and he wondered if his calm and logical thought caught her off guard. He mentally chuckled knowing that if he did that out loud he would most assuredly be targeted by her glare.

She gained a contemplative look before speaking. "Good, see that you do. Back on topic, I'm sorry to say but I can't let you leave until we know Percy is not a threat in any form. We need to know who he fights for and if he's with us, can he can defend himself?"

Eragon nodded his head. "I can talk to him after this to see if he would be willing to fight for the Varden. On the topic of whether he can defend himself," he chuckled to himself. "He can definitely defend himself mentally and physically. I don't know about magically, but I bet after some practice he could at least learn the basics." Judging by her now raised eyebrow, she wanted an explanation.

So, he explained more in detail about the sword fight and his opinions on it. He went on to talk about his magic lessons and how Percy seemed to soak them up. He especially emphasized his heavily reinforced mind.

Nasuada actually had an answer as to why no one used a 'brick wall' for their minds defense. Most minds have formless defenses because the mind needs to be able to push and pull where needed to fight back against an intruder. A wall would need a 'gate' to open to let someone in or, consequentially, push someone out. In essence, the mind would have to open itself up to attack back, which would then give the opponent a great advantage to have an open target straight into the mind.

However, Percy didn't open his gate when he pushed Eragon out, which only made Percy even more unique. There was no doubt in Eragon's mind that it was Percy's first time defending his mind, which only left being a natural at mind magic.

Nasuada and Eragon pondered in silence together until Nasuada slightly shook her head with a sigh. "We could sit here all day thinking this over and come no closer to learning more about Percy. I especially stand by my previous statement, that as long as Percy's allegiance is undecided, you cannot leave Surda unprotected."

Eragon nodded his head with a sigh. Thinking about it logically, she was correct and wise to make that decision, even if they didn't believe Percy would work against them.

Eragon said his goodbyes and headed back to Percy. Being blunt worked for him last time, so hopefully it would work again.

~~~Percy~~~

Percy looked up as Eragon came inside and nodded his head in greeting. However, he became slightly more serious when he saw Eragon's face. He looked like a man on a mission.

"Hey Percy," he began. "I know this is really soon but have you given any thought on joining the Varden?" Percy looked at Eragon in surprise. While he expected the question sooner or later, to ask on the same day he was told was quite soon.

He looked away in thought, needing to make sure that anything he said, he lived by. He already knew he wasn't going to join Galbatorix, so he pretty much had three more options to chose from.

He could be neutral and watch over the battle without interfering, however, that was immediately discarded. It wasn't in his nature to be neutral, and he owed Eragon for teaching him many essential skills in this world.

The next was becoming allies with them. He wouldn't swear allegiance, but he would swear to fight with them and help win the war. Doing this, he could still learn what they had to offer him while also fighting against the despicable king.

The last option he could think of was joining them. Now, that option could had many benefits and consequences. However, he saw more detriments in this option. At the meeting, he felt that Eragon was more of a tool for the humans in that group, which he very much disliked. Percy wasn't a tool. Never was and never would be.

Also, he would have to follow every order given to him. For an army commander who made the orders and was the one people looked up too, following orders was decently hard for him if he didn't fully agree with them. Which was guaranteed to happen sooner or later knowing him. He adamantly refused to become a tool or a soldier to be ordered around.

Finally looking up to see a slightly worried Eragon, he softly said, "Well, I can tell you that I won't ever fight against you guys. Knowing what Galbatorix does to win disgusts me and I don't want any part of that. The main question I'm going over is whether to join the Varden or ally myself to them.

"After going over my options, I think I've decided to ally myself with the Varden. The main reason being that I am a very independent person. I don't want to be forced to follow orders that I argue heavily against. I want to help you fight this madman, but I'm not going to give up my freedom to do it. So, allying myself to you guys seems to be the best option."

Percy smiled a little and said, "Now, what's with the sudden questioning?"

Eragon seemed to shuffle slightly before responding. "My brother's girlfriend was kidnapped by Ra'zac," he paused seeing Percy confused look. "They are cloaked creatures with a beak, black eyes, and no eyelids. They are cunning and cruel individuals with strength and speed on par with elves. Their breath can paralyze humans and are impervious to mind attacks. Their only weaknesses that we know of are magic, light (which burn their eyes and stun them if powerful enough), and swimming."

Percy nodded as Eragon continued. "I plan to go with Roran to rescue her. However, not that I don't trust you, but you are, or were, an unknown in this war. Nasuada wouldn't let me leave before you decided what you were going to do. I think she will be satisfied for being allied. However, it is the others who may make a fuss. Though, I don't really care what they think. I'm leaving tomorrow one way or another."

Percy smiled and nodded his head exuberantly. "That is my way of thinking. That's why I only want to be allies, not working for them. I'll help them fight and follow some orders, but I won't do anything I wouldn't normally do. I'm not trying to change your views or anything, but they need you to fight for them. However, that doesn't mean you should give up who you are to do so."

Eragon was slowly nodding his head at the end of Percy's speech. He smiled softly before saying, "I agree. Anyway, I need to relay the news to Nasuada and talk with Roran before heading out in the morning. Feel free to use this room as your own while I'm away, and if you need anything, I would recommend talking to Nasuada. I bet she would be more than happy to help or give you more reasons to stay." He added a wink at the end and Percy chuckled. Percy may have not worked with politics very much, but he at least knew basic strategies.

Eragon left to go do his business while Percy stayed behind.

" _I believe you made the right decision._ " Maelstrom said. Percy nodded his head and went back to meditating and immersing himself in his magic.

While Percy directed the flow of his magic to different parts of his body, he thought about his relationship with Maelstrom compared to Eragon and Saphira's. Maelstrom had been connected with his mind non stop since they connected and regular looked through Percy's eyes.

After asking Eragon a few questions about his and Saphira's link, Percy came to the conclusion that most, if any, don't have as strong as a connection between dragon and rider. Percy remembered when he and Maelstrom tested their mental limits and found that if the other was willing, they could actually 'take over' the others mind and control their body, feel the same feelings and basically become the other in every sense.

It was definitely a new and interesting experience to take over a dragon and vice versa. He chuckled when he remembered Maelstrom's actions when he became Percy. He tried to walk on all fours and was growling in frustration the whole time whenever he tested walking on two legs.

Percy slightly lost concentration when he felt a strange feeling ripple across his magic. The feeling surprisingly felt familiar. A feeling of comradery like when a friend comes over to visit after a long time, and you've been looking forward to it. He wondered where the feeling came from?


End file.
